May There be Gods and Dragons
by Black Sheep
Summary: SSHP Harry has a problem and the person to help him is Tom Riddle. But that problem might cause a failure of the Dark Lord’s plan and neither he nor Draco will be pleased about it.
1. Disclaimer and Prologue

Title:                May there be gods and dragons…

Author:            Shayla

Started:          26.09.2002

Warning:         Slash, Rating R

Pairing:           SS+HP

Summary:       I suck at this, but oh well…

Harry has a problem and the person to help him is Tom Riddle. But that problem might cause a failure of the Dark Lord's plan and neither he nor Draco will be pleased about it. And to add to all this, he has to deal with once, his personal conflicts and the secrets he keeps…

Note:               This Story will be SS/HP; I mean slash people. So, if you have a problem with that, don't bother continuing from here on. Also, it will be slightly AU (there are going to be dragons…) and take place in Harry's 6th year. I keep everything that happened in the books as part of the story and eventually I'll tell about the events of his 5th year, but only if I see it necessary or people ask for it…

Disclaimer:    You know the deal! Nothing is mine except for the plot…

Thanks to:      Anna and Lexi for checking my grammar and spelling and all those horrible mistakes I make. I am so grateful to both of them. They are a great help!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Prologue 

"May there be gods and dragons…

_For the world to see and witness…_

_To guide us in to future and show us what lays ahead…_

_For their power to help us in need…_

_To answer our prayers when we are lost…_

_May there be gods and dragons…_

For us to become…"

And so the chants went on and on breaking trough the silence of the world calling out onto those of power to shine and catch them in their brightness and change the way of the world, whether for the better or the worst... 

He closed the book with a very unimpressed grunt and laid it aside on the table before he rolled back into his bed.

"Foolish mortals… No true understanding of those of power… and they probably never will…" He whispered as he drifted off into sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

"I blew up the potions classroom with Professor Snape still inside…" 

Expected Silence…

Now for the remaining time for the information to sink in… 

Three… Two…One… Ze-

Tom Riddle spilled his tea across the table. "WHAT?"

Harry sighed. "I blew up-"

"I heard that part!" Tom said as he reached for a napkin to clean up the mess he had made.

"Oh…" Harry shrugged.

Tom raised an eyebrow waiting for him to continue. This seemed to make Harry nervous. The boy got up from his seat and walked to the window. Tom knew that whenever Harry distanced himself from his conversation partner it was for two reasons. Either he was not really able to face Tom right now and look him in the eyes while he explained what had happened or the boy was hiding something. Whichever it was, Tom knew he was not going to like it either way.

So the best thing would be to press it out of him as any good Slytherin would.

"Why?" He asked in a low and demanding voice.

Harry shuddered unwillingly; he hated it when Tom did that. The voice of a teacher that would not even consider lowering itself to the same level as his students. The voice of authority that was never at a loss for words while Harry had always been the opposite. The voice of Snape! 

He clenched his hands to fists so hard that his fingers turned white. Tom registered all that, and damn him, for knowing. How Harry hated it to be read as if he were an open book. Nevertheless, Tom was the only one he could talk to about this, Draco would probably strangle him outright and his friends… Never mind his friends, they had no idea what mess he was in right now…

Dear Lord when had he started to use Tom as an advisor? When had he forgotten to see past the youthful and amiable face, the darkness of Voldemort? To start treating him as a friend? To let him become part of his... family? How the hell had he gotten caught up in this war game? Trapped no matter where he turned? When had his life become more complicated than he dared it to be? When? …  When indeed?

"Why?!" Tom brought him back to the actual problem with the same voice. "Or better yet, how did it happen?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I had detention again…"

"That's no surprise, but no reason to blow up a TEACHER!!"

He looked at Tom. Was the boy getting a little hysterically? Wasn't that supposed to be Harry's reaction? "Well… I…" He struggled to find the words. _Damn it Potter! This is the easy part, if you're already chickening out what will happen when you get to the part after the explosion? Try to get Tom to do another Avada on you and see if it works this time? _"I have no idea why this is so hard…" He passed a hand trough his hair and walked back to his seat. He leaned back and started to talk…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry tried to control the rising heat of anger in his stomach. Hell, Snape knew it hadn't been his fault!!  But no, who to blame if not Harry Potter? Why not pile every stupid thing that went wrong in the world on Harry's shoulders? Snape treated him as though living was the biggest mistake he had ever committed!!

"Potter, 30 points from Gryffindor!" He muttered, mimicking the older man annoyed. "Oh, Potter why are you so terribly dense not to understand something so easy as an Invisibility Potion?" He snorted cleaning the cauldron furiously. "Detention Potter!" He whipped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. "Potter, can't you do anything right?" He let a small sarcastically laugh escape his lips. "And stupid me for even giving in!"

"What are you whining about, Potter?" Snape's voice came from behind him.

_Calm down boy, he's your teacher; you don't want to lose anymore house points. _"Nothing, Professor Snape." Even Harry could feel the lie trickling down from every word.

"If you have a problem, spill it out!" Said the low and demanding voice.

That was it! Harry threw the sponge into the cauldron and turned around angrily. "What could be my problem?!" He snapped back. "You know it wasn't my fault that Goyle's potion went up in his face! I know you know it!" He pointed with his finger at his teacher. "But you had to blame me, just because I was standing near by. You always blame me!" He stepped closer. "Why don't you simply make it easy on all of us and go ahead and rip my head off for even surviving Voldemort!!" Suddenly he realized whom he was screaming at. He cursed, frustrated and turned back to his work. "I'm sorry Professor, I got a little carried away there…"

"…Indeed…" 

There was a moment of silence that just killed Harry. Why didn't Snape say anything back? He wanted to be screamed at to have a good reason to release all that boiling anger inside of him. But who to count on when one needed it if not Snape? And Harry knew he was not going to be disappointed on this one…

"Potter, you seem to have a problem controlling your anger and frustration." Snape said. "It might be right that I overreacted a little back there." 

Harry stopped his current movement. Had Snape just agreed to being wrong?

"But that gives you _no right_ to talk to me in the way you did just now. " Trickling poison in every word. "Therefore you will get another hour of detention and another 10 points from your house." A hand rested on his cauldron next to his. "And this time I will have you do the potion correctly!"

Harry growled annoyed. He knew nothing good could come out of Snape when it came to him. 

"Yes, sir." He replied rolling his eyes in angry frustration. He let another annoyed growl escape him; maybe he was spending too much time with Sirius…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tom suppressed a smile, but failed miserably.

"I knew you would find that funny!" Harry snapped.

Tom raised a hand. "Calm down, what did you expect? You have an outburst like that and you don't want him to punish you?"

"Hmpf…"

He sighed. "But that doesn't explain the explosion…"

"No, but it's part of what caused it!"

Tom nodded for Harry to continue, he had a felling he should enjoy this while it lasted. Something in the back of his mind was whistling annoyingly that the end of Harry's story would complicate some of their plans…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Silver… 1.5 gram… " Harry mixed it into the cauldron checking carefully on the time he had to keep it on the fire. Then as he saw the color of the potion change he lowered the cauldron from it's place on the fire and started to stir it clockwise.

"Potter, you're stirring the wrong way!" Said Snape who was watching everything from behind him.

Harry made a face and changed the direction. Then he reached for the eagle feathers and the Magnesium and poured it in.

"WAIT!" Snape's warning came to late, the potion made a small 'thud' noise and purple smoke rose around them. Snape let out a frustrated cry. "I told you to add them after five minutes not five seconds!!"

"No you didn't, you said to mix it when I took it from the fire!" Harry countered as he turned around and stepping away from the smoke.

"Didn't you read the chapter of the book as I told you?!"

"… No…" There was a frown. "But you as teacher should have told me I was wrong earlier!!" He looked angrily at Snape. "Are you blind or what? Didn't you see me reach for it?!"

"I did! But I didn't believe you were just as incompetent as Longbottom!!"

"Well, now you know it!!" He screamed back. "I hope you're happy! Why don't you go ahead and take house points!" He pointed a finger at Snape accusingly. "You seem to enjoy it!"

While they continued arguing and screaming the potion continued spilling over the cauldron's edge to the ground, slowly making it's way across the room. Expanding with every second. Making amusing 'thudy' noises, which were ignored by the only two people in the room, since they were much busier screaming and being at each other's throats to pay any attention. So it continued its way, getting in contact with the fire, boiling up a little, and now making happy 'bloby' noises. It started to give itself some funny yellow-green color and to fume some more of the purple smoke. Amusing itself with the fact that it had managed to fill the floor with it's slimy presence and rejoicing in the air throughout the room it decided it was probably time to make the two noisy ones listen to it. 

"…YOU THINK THAT B-" Snape stopped in mid-sentence and sniffed the air.

Even Harry stopped; the air was thick and … purple? …

"Damn it!!!" Snape took his wand out. "It's going to explode!"

"What?!" Harry starred at his teacher.

Snape cast a shield around the room, one that would hinder anything to be damaged outside these four walls and hinder anyone from coming in. Harry added a silencing spell, no need to let the whole school know about this. Snape grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him away but slipped on the slimy ground. Harry barely managed not to crash against a table but landed on his teacher instead.

The potion decided it was time and … BUMM… it was happy…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tom couldn't stop laughing. Harry glance at him annoyed.

"I'm telling you about the tragedy of my life and you're laughing?"

"Sorry." He hid a giggle behind his hands. "Continue."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry opened his eyes slowly, there was too much light. He closed them again. It was probably late anyway so he could sleep a little longer. He curled up to the warmth beside him… It felt nice…comforting…home… He snuggled closer and he felt something wrap around his waist pulling him closer. Harry decided he liked that. So why bother checking what it was?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wait!" Tom interrupted Harry raising a hand. "Nice? … Comforting? … Home??" He narrowed his eyes.

Harry glared at him. "I find it hard enough already to confess this and you interrupt me?"

Tom glared back, his mind working at high speed. Invisibility Potions, some ingredients were used in the same amount for some other ones… _The ingredients…_ His mind catalogued them into different areas and effects they had, trying to figure out by Harry's description so far which one it was. He was no Potion Master like Snape, but he was good enough to know that those ingredients Harry had used in specifically that order could cause…

He blinked… Impossible…No way… There was no way that could have happened… But what if…

"Tom?"

He starred at Harry. "Please, tell me you didn't wake up naked in his arms."

The blood shot into Harry's face.

Tom closed his eyes leaning his face into his hands. "…And you hurt?"

Harry gagged some reply. It was enough for Tom to know. He leaned back in his seat, his ruby eyes showing a great deal of concern for his friend.

"Let me get this straight, okay?" He waited for Harry to nod. "You scream at your Potion Master, you lose 40 house points, you get detention by him _twice and_ you blow him up with his classroom? So far correct?" 

Harry nodded slowly.

"Then the next thing you know you wake up _naked_ in said person's arms, who probably was naked _too_, and you were hurting when you tried to walk?"

Harry looked away, his face red like a tomato.

Tom bit down on his lower lip trying to calm his breathing… breath in… breath out… his breathing came a little shorter now…this was not helping!

"YOU SLEPT WITH SNAPE??!" 


	3. Chapter 2

                                                                    Chapter 2 

"Let me get this straight, okay?" He waited for Harry to nod. "You scream at your Potion Master, you lose 40 house points, you get detention by him _twice_ _and_ you blow him up with his classroom? So far correct?" 

Harry nodded slowly.

"Then the next thing you know you wake up _naked_ in said person's arms, who probably was naked _too_, and you were hurting when you tried to walk?"

Harry looked away, his face red like a tomato.

Tom bit down on his lower lip trying to calm his breathing… breath in… breath out… his breathing came a little shorter now…This was not helping!

"YOU SLEPT WITH SNAPE??!"

"You make it sound worse than it already is…" Harry said looking like some hurt puppy.

"Make it WORSE??!!" Tom was about to go crazy and strangle Harry or better yet Snape. Then his mind decided to remind him of the fact that this might not be all. Harry wouldn't simply come to his house in the middle of no-where to tell him he had shagged his Potion Master. Okay, he had come because Tom had been very sick and Draco wanted someone to stay the night at Tom's in case he had a relapse, but he had no need to tell him something like this!! … Unless, this wasn't all and there was more to come… 

The whistling in the back of his mind started ringing in alarm. 

No, Harry could have simply kept it a secret, the fact the he had slept with Snape wasn't endangering anything but the boy's own conscience… So for him to be telling _this_ to Tom meant that it was or might cause some trouble to the plans they had been working on for the last year… Tom tried to figure out what it could be, but couldn't grasp it. Hell, it didn't even matter if someone had found them…_ Found them?_ … 

Harry saw Tom's eyes narrow dangerously. It was the look he gave his fellow Death Eaters. The look that told everyone that he was the Lord and they a mere pawns and that Voldemort knew they had screwed up badly. Harry gulped. This was probably not the best moment to tell Tom that Peeves had found them entangled on the classroom floor on Snape's cloak. Nope, probably not the best time at all by the look on Tom's face…

Tom could be very understanding… as far as a Slytherin could be... _If someone walked in on them… No that can't be, Snape put up some wards and Potter the silencing spell… But what if… What IF someone had gotten past that unconsciously? …  That person might go tell that around and I can't have that. Snape's position among the DEs is almost as stable as my own even if he's not aware of that… The fact that I trust him to spy for me at Hogwarts and keep Potter alive for when I need him, is reassuring enough for most of those stupid lower DEs to follow him unconditionally. Now if people knew about this… then I would have to execute a brilliant mind and James' stupid maneuver to keep that boy, I mean, man alive would have been a total waste! … I would rather kill someone before anyone figures it out… And THAT can be the only reason for Harry to tell me… Right? … Or could there be more behind all this? … I don't like this turn of events at all… Damn it, this might interfere terribly with our plan… Draco is not going to be pleased… _

_And what if I declared it an accident, after all that is all this was… _He frowned at that thought, somehow his subconscious did not agree with him on that… _The case is, wouldn't that damage MY position? I mean, if I let Snape get away with getting Harry's body… and probably virginity, I don't even want to think about that! … I would have to punish him… Not some light punishment, probably some Crucio or so… Which would get Harry on my neck! _… He sighed annoyed. This was not helping, why couldn't he simple let Harry finish?

"Continue…" He growled.

Harry took a deep breath; at least it was not Sirius he was telling this to… _Get to the point Potter, the faster you bring it behind you the better! _ "Peeves found us like that…"

"Peeves…"

Harry blinked unsure. Tom was taking this very calmly. In fact too calmly. "Aha." A pause. "Like Peeves the ghost who doesn't care what or to whom he says anything?"

_Too calmly…_"Yes…" Harry answered slowly.

"I can't kill a ghost…" That was a simple statement.

"I didn't expect you to…"

Tom's eyebrow went up. "YOU didn't?"

"No, Peeves won't tell anyone, I can assure you…" He passed a hand trough his hair.

Tom frowned lightly at the scar he had cause before the hair hid it again. "How can you be so sure?"

Harry made a theatrical hand movement in the air. "I zapped a ghost trap on him and froze him in time."

"That's all you did?"

"Not really…" Harry was feeling very uneasy under Tom's gaze. "When I noticed I was…" He struggled for words. "I mean, when I realized what must have happened… I…"

"Must have?!!" Tom interrupted him. "What do you mean?"

Harry bit down on his thumb nervously like a little child. "I don't remember… I can only guess…"

Tom blinked.

"You see, I was so shocked when I saw him holding me the way he was and that I was lying on him without ANY clothes on … and then Peeves got past the wards somehow … and hell, the first thing I thought was: He's going to tell!!" Harry looked around in the room, his eyes not fixing on any spot. "I just got up and grabbed my clothes together and ran after that stupid ghost and summoned a ghost trap and I didn't think that I would actually freeze him in time…" There he had said it…Tears rolled down his eyes in relief, as the tension seemed to flow from him.

Tom's eyes softened and he walked over to the boy taking him into his arms and stroked his hair gently. "It's okay, you were scared, that happens, you still don't have control over your powers. It happens, Harry." He rubbed his back soothingly as the boy sobbed against him. As he calmed down Tom pushed him back into the seat and took his hands in his. "Now, were you able to get him out of there again?"

Harry's eyes watered again. Tom sighed and pulled him close again. Reading from the sixteen year olds' reaction Peeves must still be trapped. 

"When did it happen?" He asked somehow calmly.

"Last Friday." It was followed by a big sob.

Harry had been struggling with this whole problem for three days now, no wonder he was like this.

"Okay what about Snape?" he asked as the boy calmed down a little again.

Harry looked at Tom, his eyes getting red from the crying. "I don't know. He didn't appear during the meals and I haven't had class with him yet…"

"When's your next one?

"Tomorrow, first hour, double Potions…"

Tom rolled his eyes; that explained why Harry had insisted to take over the night shift on him. He wanted to talk to Tom about all this, and _he_ had not the slightest idea as to what to say.

"Okay, the first thing we have to take care of is Peeves. Did anyone see him frozen?"

Harry muttered something as he looked down at his hands. 

"What?" Tom asked.

"A seventh year student came in and saw him…"

Tom sighed. "So the whole school and staff knows?"

Harry nodded. "No one was able to tell who or what had caused it nor to annulated the spell. But Hermione told me that when the teachers got together Snape looked as though he knew what had happened." Harry took a deep breath. "And I know he will know it was me…" He looked at Tom with pleading eyes. "Tom, what should I do?"

He let out a big desperate sigh. "I have not the slightest idea." He paused. "What did Draco and the twins say?"

"They said it was uncommon magic, but nothing we should worry about."

"So you didn't tell them?"

He shook his head.

Tom walked back to his seat. "Now listen to me Harry, you've got to go back and release him from your spell. You're the only one that can do that."

"But what if he figures I'm a-"

"Then he won't tell knowing that you have the power to do just _that_ again." He smiled. "Why don't you get the Bloody Baron to keep him quiet, you could convince him easily…"

"I'm a Gryffindor."

"True… Then I convince him."

"You're going to Hogwarts?!" Harry couldn't believe his ears.

"Look Harry, the Baron knows me from back then when I was a student, you think he will not aid Lord Voldemort?"

Harry didn't like this whole idea at all… not at all…because that still didn't solve his problem with Snape… 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

He was grinning. Not just like that, but also with such delight and amusement that the only thing Harry wanted to do right now was to hit the grin off Tom Riddle's face. Why the hell was he so happy?

Okay, he himself was overjoyed every time he was able to return to Hogwarts, but he had a good reason… well, more like three… and maybe even one to add which he didn't even want to consider, at least not after what had happened last week… _Whatever_… 

"Stop that!" Harry grumbled again annoyed as he walked next to the ex-student under the Invisibility cloak his father had left for him. He was having this mood changes far too often…

Tom's smile widened, he knew what was bothering the young boy. But he didn't care right now. So instead of trying to disguise his joy he started to whistle very silently.

Harry wanted to strangle him. "Would you keep it quiet? What if anyone hears us? What if Norris hears us?"

"The cat?" Tom asked surprised.

"Yes!" Was the tense reply.

"It's still alive?"

"Yes!"

"Wow…" He giggled.

"What now?" Harry glared at him.

"I like that cat." Tom shrugged. "Damn, it must be some pretty old one now…"

"Don't you think in 60 years the cat might have died and they simply got a new one keeping the name?"

Tom shrugged again. "Don't know, besides I'm not _that_ old." He sighed. "It can't possibly be 60 years since I've been here…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever… Would you simply keep in mind _why_ we are here wandering around my school at 3 am while _I _should be sleeping?"

"Okay, okay…" Tom sighed. "You're awfully tense lately…"

"What could probably be the reason?" Harry snapped. "I figure out I'm not normal, that Draco is supposed to tutor me in the arts of the clan, that Fred and George are clan leaders, that _you_ are young again and _don't_ want to kill me, but are actually one of the good ones." He glanced at the Dark Lord. "And now I have Snape and Peeves to top that." Glare. "I can't even tell my friends and I have to keep pretending I haven't changed… and _you_ think _I_ shouldn't have a reason to be a little stressed at all?"

Tom raised his hands in defense. "I didn't say it would be easy, you know."

He got a snort as a reply.

Tom sighed, wondering where that boy had gotten those bad moods. James had always been a happy person and Lily was simply…. Lily… fucked up as he had always considered her, but not in bad moods… No, this wasn't simply because of what had happened, Harry was of good nature, there was something else to it. And he wouldn't be Tom Riddle if he didn't figure out what!

Harry muttered something angrily under his breath continuing his way trough Hogwarts.

Tom sighed again. He had to admit that Harry could sometimes be just as difficult as his father.

…_James…_

Potter was the reason he had gotten himself stuck in the human world for. The reason he had become a Dark Lord… The reason behind him trying to kill his best friend… The reason he had tried to destroy the boy next to him…

An old and hated feeling rose slowly in him… He hated his own incompetence… the past was done, but it had left scars on him, not visibly, but Tom knew they were there… That was the reason he was helping Harry, so that maybe one day he could forgive himself for letting his emotions rule his action and having killed James, his wife… for having harmed Draco and Harry… and finally himself and-

"Tom?"

He was brought out of his reverie. "Yes, Harry?"

The boy sighed. "Look I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little tired." 

Tom laid his hand on the boy's head with a smile and fuzzed his hair. "Don't worry."

They continued their way heading down to the dungeons. Harry felt his whole body tense up. The air was cold and humid. He coughed slightly, not really wanting to tell Tom that he had been having a cold for the last week. As if he didn't have enough problems. Harry pulled his cape closer around him to keep himself warmer. 

A few minutes later they stood in the room where Peeves was still frozen. Tom had to keep down a smile; this was not the right time to find anything amusing.

Harry lifted the cloak from them. "So how do we get the Baron now?"

Tom had a secretive glimmer in his eyes as he put his hands in his jacket's pockets. "I show you…" The young man closed his eyes.

Harry looked at him. It was sort of awkward to imagine that the boy there could be the age of his grandfather and looked no older than he did. But Harry also knew this was the ability of the clan. Although according to Tom, he should look older. The Slytherin had explained that it might be because of the blood ritual he had done on the Boy-Who-Lived in his fourth year… A darkness lay over Harry's soul, no matter what, he hadn't been able to forgive Tom for Cedric's death. He had forgotten it… laid that fact aside… but he couldn't forgive…

Harry watched attentively as a white-silver aura rose around Tom gliding like little shooting stars to the ground and disappearing in the stone. This went on for a few moments then Tom opened his eyes and the aura vanished.

"What did you do?"

The older one shrugged lightly. "It's a summon spell. You join your self with your surroundings for a short moment and can tell them to pull the thing or someone you're looking for to you. It's sort of dangerous if you can't assure your body's safety, you might get trapped in whatever you choose to melt with." He sat on the ground pulling one leg to him. "But it's the fasted way so find someone in a place like Hogwarts." He smiled at Harry and nodded for him to sit next to him. "Now we just wait for him to come and then we continue with your part."

Harry nodded and laid his father's cloak on the ground to sit on it. Tom raised an eyebrow amused but did not comment. Harry coughed again, this time the sound of sickness hanging on to it.

"Are you okay?" Tom looked at him concerned.

"I think I caught a cold during Quidditch training." He gave the ruby-eyed one a reassuring smile. "Nothing to worry about."

Tom didn't take his eyes of him for a moment, maybe that was the reason Harry was having those mood changes… Then again maybe not... Whatever the case he was not going to force the boy to tell him. So he simply nodded and looked at Peeves. "I should have done that when I was in school…"

Harry smiled and leaned on to Tom. The other blinked for a moment but did not protest. It felt sort of nice… like when James had done it on various occasions. 

"Say Harry…" He started.

The boy made a questioning sound.

"… When you woke up in Severus' arms… did you feel disgusted?" He had to know.

"… Not really…" Was the soft reply. "Why?"

"It's just that…" He bit on his lower lip. "Hmm… Nothing… Just forget I asked."

Harry leaned back and looked at him. "Why?" A demanding tone in his voice.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle…" 

They both looked up to the Bloody Baron coming down from the ceiling. He looked at Harry surprised. "And young Potter…"

Tom was grateful for the ghost' appearance, he didn't really want to explain to Harry what he was thinking right now. He got up from the ground and dusted his hands off. Then with a cold glare and a dark smile he faced the Baron who was now in eyesight with him.

"Long time not seen." Said Tom calmly.

Harry to his left, got up as well, his face expressionless as Draco had taught him.

The Baron nodded to Tom. "Indeed." He glanced at Harry for a moment before turning to Tom again. "Why did you call me, for it was you, wasn't it?"

Tom's smile was icy. "Yes, it was I who called you."

The Baron didn't move, nor did he seem affected by Tom's attitude. "I hear."

"I want you to keep Peeves quiet."

The Baron moved his eyebrows up questioningly.

Tom moved a bit behind Harry and put his arm on the boy's shoulder resting his head on it, an amusing dark smile on his lips. "He happened to see my young friend here in something we don't really want to get into." He glanced at Peeves. "And you can see how young Mr. Potter here reacted to it." 

Eyes narrowed at them. "So when we release him, I want you to make sure he keeps quiet and keeps everything to him. I don't want him disturbing my friend here. "Tom passed his fingers over Harry's cheek. "Also you will not ask him." He pointed with his wand at the Baron.

Harry blinked, when had Tom reached for his wand?

"Will you do me that favor?" No question, it was an order from the Dark Lord and Harry could see that the Baron knew it.

The Slytherin house ghost nodded after a while. "Very well."

"Good." Frozen darkness in the voice. "Now, Harry, release our friend there."

Harry shuddered unwillingly, he had been present at the reunions of the Death Eater's often enough to have heard Tom speak like that, but it chilled every bone in him every time.

He took a deep breath forgetting about the sudden cold around him closing his eyes. This had to work in the first try, otherwise Peeves would know that Harry was not fully in control of the Magic of the Clan. He lifted his hand and pointed with a finger at the frozen figure. He murmured words under his breath as he wrote Runes in the air. He heard the crackling of his spell… and then Peeves was released from his prison.

Harry opened his eyes, he just hoped this would work; he had no intention in having everyone know what had happened in the dungeon.

"Well, Mr. Peeves welcome to our present time." Tom gave a soft sadistically laugh from him. "I hope you remember me."

Peeves looked from the two mortals to the Baron, then back at Tom. "Voldemort…" 

"Ah, good memory I see." A pause. "Now, I understand that you witness some very interesting things." He nodded slightly to Harry. "Mr. Potter was so nice to inform me and ask me to assure your cooperation to keep that event a secret." He played with his wand between his fingers. "The Baron also assured me he would control your collaboration on this." The voice was pure evil.

Harry noticed the Baron's eyes narrowing and saw why. Tom had used a spell; the tip of his wand was trickling magic. Harry wondered what Tom had done.

The young Dark Lord straightened up and turned his back to them. "I hope it is clear to you that if you break this contract, I will not stop until I punish either one of you." His head turned to them slightly, ruby eyes shimmering dangerously. "I can come in here anytime, and no one can stop me! Understood?"

The others nodded in agreement.

"Then leave now, I'll talk to Mr. Potter about his report of your conduct to me." A dark smile.

Harry watched amused as he two ghost left as fast as they could. He turned to Tom. "What did you do?"

"I hexed them." He said absently. "A harmless tickling spell, but they don't know that." His face brightened, all the darkness lifting like it had never been there in the first place. He walked over to Harry and touched his forehead with a finger. "And you, Harry, will go immediately to Poppy to get something for your cold. Because I felt your fever on me." He picked the Invisibility cloak from the ground and handed it to the boy. "We'll have a reunion with the inner circle of the DE's next week and you've got to be healthy!"

Harry sighed. Tom had noticed the fever. "Okay…"

Tom laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then go… I can manage my way back alone." A friendly smile.

The green-eyed boy nodded. "Here take the cloak."

"No, I can do better." And with that Tom vanished before his eyes.

"And I thought one couldn't Apparate in Hogwarts."

"One can't, I just cast an Invisibility spell…"

Harry jumped back a few steps surprised. "God! Don't do that!!"

 He heard a chuckle. "Go now, Harry."

"Good night, Tom."

"See you." Was all he got as a reply.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A soft knocking on the door woke Madam Pomfrey up. She got up from her bed and walked to the door to see who it was. She opened the door to find Harry Potter looking at her.

"Boy, what are you doing up at this hour of the night?" she asked with a yawn.

The boy lowered his gaze. "I haven't been feeling very well, and …" he drifted off.

She sighed and let him in. He looked at her and she nodded him to sit on the chair. Her hand reached for his face.

"Dear Lord, you're burning up." She said, all sleepiness lifting from her immediately. She pulled him up and leaded him to one of the empty beds in the infirmary. "Now, lay down and I'll bring you something. You'll stay here overnight."

Harry nodded tiredly and watched her disappear in a small room. Shortly after, she returned with something for him to drink and started to check his pulse. Fifteen minutes later she had finished her check-up on him and he was finally allowed to rest in bed.

"I'll keep you here tomorrow too. It seems to me you could use some quiet and peace to get over this… cold…" that last pause made Harry frown but he was too sleepy right now to wonder about that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Fred was running trough the corridors of Hogwarts in search of someone. He saw Ron. 

"Ron!"

His brother turned to him. "Have you seen Malfoy?"

Ron blinked and starred at him confused. "Ma… Malfoy?"

"Yes, Malfoy, you know, Slytherin, blond white hair, can't keep his tongue still…"

Hermione answered for Ron. "No, we haven't seen him, but we do have Potions in a few minutes with him."

Fred bit down on his thumb, a habit he had when he was nervous. "Ah … well…" he reached for something to write in his pocket then pulled a quill out and wrote rapidly on the piece of paper. "Here, give this to him." He handed Ron the note and ran back the way he had come from.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, anyway what did he write?"

Ron looked at her. "Curious, aren't we?"

Hermione nodded for him to open the note. Ron gave in to her and she unfolded it. There were just some scribbles on it, here and there a rune and some word that seemed to make some sense. They both sweat dropped. What had they expected from one of the twins, a love letter? 

Hermione passed a hand trough her hair. "Oh well, let's go. Surely Harry is already waiting for us in the dungeon."

Ron nodded.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco watched the Gryffindors enter the Potion classroom, he looked for Harry, but he didn't seem to have come with his friends. Well, maybe he had fallen asleep at Tom's and was going to be late. That would be so typical of him. He smirked unconsciously.

"Here."

Draco blinked at the note being held in front of his face. He looked at Ron. "What should I do with that?"

"Ask my brother." Snorted Ron, disgusted.

Draco looked at him unsure and took the note his eyes not leaving the redhead. He opened the note. He blinked surprised as he read it. "Potter is in the infirmary?" he asked confused.

"What?" Ron glanced at him.

The Slytherin's face darkened, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. 

"Weasley!" 

Ron jumped startled at the Potion Master's voice. 

"Do you intent to stay there or will you let me start my class?" Snape said in a cold and strict voice.

"No, Professor…" He walked to his seat next to Hermione who looked at him questioning. He dismissed her with a nod that they would talk later.

Draco sighed mentally, that had been close…


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: 

This story is no sequel to any other I have written, although, I do have a side story, but that is something I have to keep to me until I have written a little bit more about the past and to James Potter.

I want to thank Lexi and Anna for fixing some of my spelling, grammar and punctuation. You're a great help!!! Thank you so much!

Well, I hope you like this chapter. 

Enjoy^_^ !

Chapter 4 

Harry awoke feeling slightly better than he could remember over the last couple of days. He had finally gotten a good night's rest and his head no longer seemed to try to cause a mass of nauseas in the pit of his stomach thanks to no-ending headaches. He truly had to thank Madam Pomfrey for whatever she had drugged him with. For a moment he considered his own stupidity for not coming earlier to her for help. The only thing that would make his morning completely perfect now was, if he could get rid of the sensation of burning up and feeling cold at the same time. _The stupid fever is still there_, he sighed.

Sitting up slowly it occurred to him that Draco probably would notice his absence in class and come wandering in asking what was up. And as his life was considered a not-private matter in the wizarding world, it would only be a matter of time before the whole school would be notified of his cold.

He coughed a few times into his hands. Somehow he doubted he really had a cold. His illness was getting more and more like Tom's and if that were the case… He shuddered; he didn't even want to think of the consequences. He still remembered far too clearly how the other had almost been killed by the 'Karerukoto' epidemic. It had been truly fearsome. He could just hope that the next Death Eater meeting would prove to be better as to reconsider this so-called project to reduce Muggle Pollution.

He reached for the glass of water at the table next to his bed and drank. A good thing to this actually was, that the doomed conversation with Snape was going to be delayed. Harry was a Gryffindor and they hated to run, but sometimes, just sometimes the Slytherin in him kicked him into realizing that hiding was not such a bad thing after all. He certainly didn't want to have a conversation with his teacher about _that_ incident.

He put the glass back on the table and lay back into the bed starring at the ceiling as he pulled the covers up. Damn it! If he could at least remember what exactly had happened, he could think about a way to talk himself out of this, but fate didn't even allow him that bit of hope. It was truly frustrating.

He laid an arm over his eyes. Merlin! How had he ended up in all this mess in the first place?

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

The crowd of London's street was thicker than usual. It seemed as though everybody was out today shopping. Harry sighed and tried to keep up with the Dursleys. Normally he had no trouble with that, but today everything seemed to work against him. His mind was so concerned with the events of last year's tournament that he tended to get lost in thought when he least needed it. It was no wonder that after a few shops he lost his aunt and her two walking whales. He stood on the tip of his feet glancing around for two big moving human-balls, but no such luck.

Suddenly he was grabbed from behind and a hand pressed against his mouth. He tried to struggle but strength greater than his held him.

"Shh…" a voice whispered in his ear as he and his attacker stood in the shadow of an ally. 

He blinked; he knew that voice. Then someone came trotting towards them a tall red-haired figure. Harry's eyes went wide. It was one of the twins, then… he was released and he turned around to see the apologetic smile of Ron's older brother. 

"Sorry buddy, but you were just about to walk into the arms of a bunch of Death Eaters. " George said.

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

Pain struck him and he curled up to the side whining. God, his stomach hurt! He could feel his muscles trembling for a moment uncontrollably and his vision blurred. Then as suddenly as it had come it ended. But he remained still, not daring to move, afraid of the pain.

Damn it! This was his own fault! 

Harry cried quietly into the sheets. If he just hadn't followed Fred and George that day… If he had remained with the Dursleys his fifth year would have been different. His life wouldn't be like this and-

He sobbed like a child. But he had chosen this path and he would not turn his back now that he had made it this far… Not yet…

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

Harry followed Fred and George into the depth of the dungeon underneath the sealed-off theater. The place was humid but remarkably large and clean considering that above it looked as though no living soul had passed for at least a few decades. 

They stopped at a large metal door, which George opened by muttering a spell. Harry wondered for a moment if the other Gryffindor had used a wand. Fred nodded him to follow and they stepped into a cave, if anything the air got even more humid and it tickled his nose unpleasantly. He took a quick glance around as they made their way through the stalactites and stalagmites. 

Since they had saved him from walking into Voldemort's arms a while back they had not spoken much. Fred had simply stated that it was time for Harry to learn about his heritage and that, if he was willing to follow, Harry would be told everything he needed. Unsurely he had agreed after George assured him that the Dursleys would not be expecting him back anytime soon and when he would be returning home, they would not even have missed his absence. And so he had followed them unaware that his life was going to have a major turn-around.

After a long walk Harry saw the outlines of a building rising from the stone and filling the rest of the cave. It seemed new but its aura was ancient. It stood there in all its pride and glory, shining in white marble in the dark. Ironically Harry remembered that moment when people said that when they died and walked trough a tunnel towards a white light. He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and followed the twins inside.

Large pillars marked the entrance to a hallway, soft voices sang. They made their way up a stairway towards a bridge that united the first building with another. Harry looked down and was amazed to see various dragons and humans sitting next to the each other, walking peacefully around or talking. He blinked and wanted to ask where they were, but Fred and George had moved on and he was forced to run after them. The twins stopped in front of a large door with Runes written all over it.

"You must go in there alone, Harry." Fred said calmly.

"Do not fear what you'll see." His brother added as he moved to open the door.

"And most important of all Harry." Fred laid a hand on his shoulder locking their eyes. "Listen before judging and deciding your path…"

And the doors were pushed open and with an uneasy feeling Harry stepped inside, the doors closing behind him again…

"Come closer…" a female voice spoke from further behind.

Harry took a deep breath but did as asked. He saw the outlines of large figure in the too bright room and as moving step by step towards it, he realized with rising horror that he knew that form from an encounter he really did not want to remember. It was a dragon, larger than the one from the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It was slender and elegant in its own way, it's gray-blue eyes looked at him calmly. There was an aura of authority in it, and yet somehow with the realization of what he saw was real, it did no make him afraid. It was as though something deep inside was telling him that he was in no danger, that this dragon meant no harm.

The white- pale blue creature remained in a laying position as it spoke. "Harry Potter…" the female voice echoed in the room. "Come closer, I shall tell you a secret. The secret of your heritage…"

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

Draco ran into Fred outside of the Transfiguration classroom. The teacher's assistant grabbed him by the cape turning him to face him.

"Didn't you get the note?!" Fred snapped trying not to catch the other bypassing students' attention.

Draco scowled. "I did, but I can't come running whenever you want me to when I still have to keep up some façade." He glanced around with his eyes checking that no one was listening.

"Do you know what happened?" Fred asked as they made their way down to the Great Hall for lunch.

"No, but I've heard you brother say that he seemed to have caught a cold…" Draco stopped suddenly as realization hit him.

"What?" Fred asked curiously. "Something wrong?"

"Shit!" and with this the Slytherin turned on his heels and ran back the way he had come from.

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

Harry starred dumbfounded at the Dragon. Was it true what she was telling him? But… Impossible! He couldn't be a Dragon… Suddenly he started laughing, he couldn't help it.

The dragon frowned annoyed. "What's wrong with you?" That wasn't the expected reaction from the boy. He had just been told that he was the last of his kind, of his clan. What his father had done to assure his survival. He had just been told he was the Yorae Dragon, the Head of the Visionary Clan, the one that would have to lead the Dragons in the upcoming battle. 

Harry smiled sadly. "Its just kind of karmatic, the shine of being the boy who lived wears out to let me know I'm the last one of my species…" 

Gray eyes widened shocked not having considered this.

"Don't worry, the seriousness of it hasn't sunken in yet." Harry said as he sat on the ground tired of standing. "Listen, if I should believe what you've just told me, then how come I don't have fangs and wings or a dragon form like you? Don't tell me I'm some failed genetic abnormality or something."

The Dragon smiled. "You can transform, but only from a certain age on. Yorae Dragons are different from the other clans since there are a breed of Dragons and Gods. Things will not work for you the way they work for example for Fred and George."

"They are Dragons?"

"How else would they have known their way here? Only Dragons know of the existence of this sanctuary."

Harry leaned his head to the side. "True, but then the rest of the Weasley would have to be Dragons as well…"

There was a sigh. "No, only the twins are, but you better ask them about the details…"

A long moment of silence followed before Harry spoke again. "Okay, let me try to summarize what you have told me so far..." He took his glasses of massaging with his other hand the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "Dragons are beings that live in secluded areas avoiding as much contact with humans and other intelligent species as possible for reasons I didn't quite get. The Dragons are divided in various family branches. Important for me to know are the two main types: the Elemental Families and the Old Clans, which are represented in the High Council. The High Council is formed by the Head of Clans of each of a region. Next to the Council there are the Visionary clans. They are a cross breed of Gods and Dragons and are lead by the Yorae Clan…" Harry opened his eyes to see the dragon nod affirmatively. "The Visionary clans are separated from the other clans due to their level of power. Their magic is more spiritual than usual and as their name says, they have visions of things to come. After that it got far to complicated for me to remember…" If Harry didn't know better he would have sworn having seen a smile on the dragon's lips.

"You truly have more to you than I ever thought… Maybe I judged you too early, or maybe I expected you to be like your father… But you are just yourself, not him." Sadness filled those eyes. "Very well then. Harry Potter, will you accept the teachings of the Clan, which I can provide to you, if you accept me as your mentor, and follow your rightful destiny and path? Will you follow the laws of the Old Teaching and the High Council keeping your heritage a secret until the time is right to let the world know once again of our powers? Will you lead us in the coming battle and do as necessary to assure a safe and peaceful future for those who come? Will you agree, Harry Potter, or will you turn around now and walk away on the path you came in by? Think well before answering, young Yorae, for your decision will be your future and the consequences to come are your own. There will be no turning back once you take a step forward."

Harry took a deep breath. All the things he had been told during the last hours were still dazzling his mind. He couldn't turn back; he wanted and needed to know where his origins were. He could learn so much to help others and maybe even convince the Dragons to help him and the wizarding world in their fight against Voldemort.

_"Black and white?" the dark haired man shook his head. "No, the world is shades of gray and things are never what they seem, my friend, so you shouldn't judge until you've seen all the puzzle pieces in order in front of you."_

_"James, I'm not saying that things will be easy from here on, but at least would you consider what I'm telling you?" the figure in the shadow asked._

_"If there is one thing I want to teach those who will follow me, is that sometimes your worst enemy is your best friend and that those you thought your friends will be the first to turn their back on you when they see you broken."_

"Harry?"

He shook his head startled and looked into the worried eyes of the dragon. "I… I just had a… err… I saw my dad… he said that the world was… shades of gray?" he murmured, passing puzzled a hand through his hair. "Never mind…" This was not the right moment to analyze those foreign thoughts. Taking another deep breath he stood up and locked his eyes with the dragon's. "I accept. No matter the consequences, this will be my path. I am the Yorae Dragon and I will take my duty seriously, and follow the teachings. I am grateful to know you as my mentor."

"Then, young Dragon, I will tell you my mortal name and hope that we may get along." A bright light formed around the large figure. Harry heard the flapping of wings and the air move around him. Feathers touched gently his face as he lowered his arm with which he had protected his eyes from the brightness to see the form vanish. Footsteps moved towards him as someone approached him. A dark cloak zipped trough the air. Harry's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the person. A hand stretched out for him to take.

"Welcome young Yorae, I'm Draco, Head of the High Council, leader to the Wind Clans and from today on, I shall be your mentor." 

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

Madam Pomfrey came to give him some medicine and breakfast. He was glad he was in a better state by then, because he certainly didn't want to have Draco's plans in any way damaged just because she started to ask questions about his true sickness. If he could convince her that it was a simple cold, then Draco wouldn't find out about it either. Harry really didn't want to be excluded from the next Death Eaters' meetings only because he hadn't paid attention and had gotten himself ill. The Inner circle would decide on their next moves and Draco and them needed to inform the Dragons of the current situation in the wizarding world if they intended to ask for the magical world's help… It was essential that the Yorae Dragon attend as well as Jathy…

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

George walked side by side with Harry as they entered Privet Drive. Draco had told the boy many things during the last hours. He had explained him the ways of the Dragons, and most important of all he had told Harry the truth. The truth behind the façade of Lord Voldemort… So, George could understand why Harry had not said a word since they had left the sanctuary. It was remarkable how the boy seemed to have accepted everything so far without actually panicking. Yet Draco had said that he might still go hysterical once all the information was throughout processed in the boy's mind.

"George…" Harry stopped turning to him with a strange expression on his face.

"Yes?" He sincerely hoped that Harry wouldn't go crazy on him right now. Fred was much better handling people than he was.

"Why are you here?" the boy tilted his head to the side.

George shrugged his shoulders confused. "What do you mean?"

"Malf-" he shook his head. "I mean Draco. He said dragon leaders are always born twins and that they are never allowed on the same mission with his or her twin. Why are both, you and Fred here then?"

"That is…" George sighed and leaned against a garden fence as he crossed his arms. "Seventeen years ago, when your parents were still alive, your father and the Head of Council had a huge fight. I don't know what it was about, back then my mother and uncle were the leaders of our clans.  As far as I have been told it had to do with the fact that the Yorae Dragon wanted to marry your mother, but I personally think there was more to it. Whichever, the Council was not really pleased with that, because it left the Visionary Clans without their leader. James had already been in the human world over 15 years by then and he was beginning to neglect his duties. Your father insisted anyway, and as we can see..." He nodded to Harry. "… he did as he wanted. But…" He glanced uncomfortably at Harry. "I don't know if I am the right person to tell you this, Harry…I mean, I shouldn't talk about things I don't really have much clue about…"

"I just asked about you and Fred…" Harry pointed out, although he was rather intrigued to hear more about his father.

"The thing is, that my being here has to do with what happened back then, and Fred's too…"

"Oh."

George mimicked him. Rain started to fall upon them as they remained where they were. No one moved; no one spoke. 

"Maybe you should go inside… The spell might wear off…" George finally said as he pushed himself away from the fence.

"You'll have to tell me someday, George." Harry said as he walked towards house with the number 4. "Eventually, you will have to trust me enough to let me know everything."

George watched him disappear into the safety of the house.

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

"Well my dear, you seem to be back to your old self." Madam Pomfrey said after she finished her check up on him. "The fever will still be there for a while, but if you take good care of yourself for the next days, you should be able to go and run into some Slytherins."

Harry grinned. He loved magic; it allowed one even to trick a medi-witch like Poppy. "Thanks, I really don't want to miss any more classes than strictly necessary."

She nodded in understanding. "Just drink this potion and get going then." she handed him the vial and waited for him to empty it. Harry heard the door of the infirmary open and a few quick footsteps approached. A familiar figure came into view. Harry tensed unwillingly.

"Malfoy…"

"Potter…"

The two boys glared at one another even as Madam Pomfrey spoke: "What can I do for you Mr. Malfoy."

"I was having a headache and wondered whether you had anything against it." He said not taking his eyes of Harry.

"Of course." She got up and Harry followed suit to leave. "And Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned to her. "Yes, ma'am?"

"I want to check on you tomorrow when you have time."

He nodded slowly, walking as quickly as possible past Draco, who was practically penetrating his mind with his eyes. Madam Pomfrey disappeared into her office and Harry felt the magic pull of the Slytherin as he stepped out of the infirmary.

/Where do you think you're going?/ Draco growled into his mind.

\Me? Back to the Gryffindor Tower to catch up on my lessons…\

/…Why were you here?/ 

\I didn't feel well and Madam Pomfrey said I had caught a cold and wanted me to stay overnight.\ It wasn't a complete lie, just half the truth. Well, it was better that than having him known he had gotten infected with that deadly virus Tom had been struggling with for the last three weeks.

/Are you fine then?/ The Dragon's voice asked suspiciously.

\Why shouldn't I be?\ If Draco figured out what was truly going on, he would make Harry remain here for the rest of the coming month. Harry wouldn't be able to attend the meetings. They couldn't afford that…

/…/

The link remained in silence and Harry sighed relived as he made his way back to the Tower before he might actually run in one of the other dragon leaders. Merlin! He sometimes hated his life…

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

"You have got to be kidding me!" Harry snapped as he paced back and forth. "How can that bastard be a Dragon!!"

The twins sighed as Draco tried to calm him but to no use.

"You know, Potter, I wasn't very happy about it either!" Tom Riddle growled.

Harry scowled waving his arms around him. "Right! You don't want power to spread your hands over the world to just kill a few more people off!!"

"I was talking about us being related." Tom said annoyed.

"He's not even denying it!!!" Harry was about to hyperventilate.

Fred leaned towards his brother. "He's not taking it very well." 

George rolled his eyes annoyed. "I wouldn't either, if you turned out to be someone who has been trying to kill me for most of my life…"

"That would be a perfect waste of my time…" Fred stated as he continued to watch Harry and Tom screaming at each other.

Draco finally settled down next to them. "If I had know it would be this hard to make them work together, I would have kicked them unconscious and then dragged them into Voldie's office putting some nasty spells on them to make them listen."

George leaned forward to look pass Fred at him. "You could still do that."

"HE WILL NOT!!" Tom and Harry snapped in unison.

"Merlin! They are related!" Fred stared at the two black haired glaring daggers at one another.

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

Draco knocked on Professor Sprout's office door, hoping to find George here. A voice from inside called for him to step inside. 

"Mr. Malfoy, what can I do for you?" the professor asked as she looked up from her desk where she currently was grading some essays.

"I was looking for George Weasley." He smiled calmly. "I have a message from Professor Snape for him." The Slytherin lied. 

"Yes, Mr. Weasley is in Greenhouse 3," replied the Professor.

"Thank you, professor," and turning he made his way there.

George was watering some plants as Draco walked up to him. "Weasley!"

"Hey, Draco." The read-haired didn't turn to look at him, but continued with his work. "How's Tom?"

"I was going to ask you. Harry was in the infirmary last night and ran out on me telling me had work to catch up with." He crossed his arms. "He has been hiding something from me…"

George smiled as he glanced at the Slytherin. "And why would you think I know anything about it?"

"Because, you will go ask Tom tonight what the hell he and Harry are up to." Ordered Draco.

A sigh escaped the young teacher's assistant. "I can't. Tonight is staff meeting and I have to be there, not just Fred."

"Well, I can't go because I have detention with Filch…" Draco cursed under his breath. "By the way… Did you see that Peeves was released from the spell last night?"

George nodded. "Yes… I find it suspiciously unnerving that we don't know who did it. I mean, I couldn't even see where the energy lead to." 

Draco came closer to him and touched the plant carefully. "There is something else. I received a message from the High Council."

George looked at him shocked.

"They want us to come back with Harry…"

"But we can't!" exclaimed George carefully as he saw some students enter the greenhouse. "His powers are still in dormant form as you have said. It would be disastrous to make him do the journey. Tom won't allow it!"

"Don't you think I know that!" he snapped back. 

"Draco, you're the Head of the Council!"

Draco let out a frustrated growl. "That doesn't mean I can walk over the decision of the Council! If the majority decides that the Yorae is to be brought back… If they decide that we should go back, then we will follow. That is how we have always worked."

"Tom is the current head of the Yorae Clan until Harry awakens fully. If he could convince the council that-"

"Don't you think I have considered that option?" he quieted as the students walked pass them to the back of the greenhouse. "Tom is in a far more complicated and intertwined position with the wizarding world than any of us."

George nodded for Draco to follow him outside as he lowered the water cane to the ground. "The Yorae Clan is always above the Council when it's necessary for our survival. As the current leader Tom could base his decision to remain here on that…"

Draco shook his head with a sigh. "It's not that easy. Tom is in a difficult position. As twin to the late Yorae Leader he is technically seen as the Head of the Visionary, but genetically Tom is of the Gods Clan. The Council wouldn't recognize his decision, you know that. Also, Tom did not absorb and unite with James's memories and essence. I'm not sure why, but is has to do with the negative energy which Tom stores within his body." They made their way back to the castle. "Whatever the reason, James knew this would happen. He told the Council, before you got introduced as a member, that the Visionary wouldn't purify the world anymore. That with the birth of a new Yorae the era would change and the Protocols renewed."

"I don't understand."

"Neither did I…" 

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

Harry stared expectantly at the thin glass bracelets around his wrists. He brought one closer to his face to marvel at the carefully and detailed handwork of its maker. He could feel magic pulsing through every Rune that covered its delicate surface. It was beautiful and fragile.

"I can't take them." He told George as he was about to take them off but a pair of hands stopped him.

"Harry. These bracelets are the only way you will be able to attend the Death Eater meeting with us and the only way you are going to learn to think not only from one perspective but also from that of your enemy." Fred let go off him as he settled down by the campfire next to him.

George watched them from across the fire keeping an eye on the Burrow, waiting for their two younger siblings to return after cleaning up the dishes from dinner.

Fred continued to explaining, using what time they had. Soon, probably tonight, Tom would summon his followers and Harry would be introduced to them. It was necessary that the boy understood the situation and all the things that he could use to his advantage while being a spy. "The bracelets will alter your outer appearance to some extent. It will create an illusion that not even magic will be able to break and won't allow anyone to see the real you pass your mask." He pointed at Harry.

The green-eyed boy shook his head slightly. "I don't quite understand…"

Fred smiled at him warmly like a father to his son. "You still think too much like a human. You must let your inner instincts act more on their own."

Harry looked annoyed at him. "That usually gets me into more trouble."

The older boy chuckled. "Nevertheless, one school starts again Draco will start tutoring you and you will come to see that things are far more complicated than you realize by now."

"Oh, great!" Harry rolled his eyes. "Still, will they not break, I mean it's glass!"

This time he heard George chuckle from across the fire. "Harry, have you ever wondered why wizards and witches keep their potions in glass vials?"

The boy replied negative.

"It is because glass can seal magic as well as produce and hold it. It may look fragile to you, but if you tried to smash them against a stone you would soon learn that the magic they hold will assure they remain just they way they look right now. And also…" George moved his hand swiftly through the flames before pulling it out again. "They will hide themselves from the human eye for as long as you need it…"

And as Harry starred at his wrist there was nothing on them any longer, although he could still feel the magic around them. "Wow!"

"Yes, my mother is a very good craftswoman." Fred laughed.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

The twins shook their heads. "No, our real mother. She was not only leader of our clan, but also a master of illusion."

George spoke.  "We, of the Fire Elemental Family are known for being able to fool the eye and for being tricksters."

 "Explains a lot." Harry smiled amused.

"Hey, Harry!" The three at the campfire turned towards the house as Ron came running towards them. "Harry, Mom just said were are going to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy our school supplies, isn't it great! Hermione will be there too."

Harry grinned while he unconsciously moved a hand over the invisible glass bracelet on his wrist. "Of course…"

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

Harry settled tiredly on his bed when Hedwig flew in. She landed and fluttered her wings while she jumped towards him.

"Hey, what did you bring me?" he asked with a warm smile noticing the parchment hanging on a string around her neck. 

She puffed up and flapped her wings excitedly. Harry raised curiously an eyebrow. She usually behaved like this whenever she had just gotten a few treats from someone. He reached for the note and opened it.

_Harry,_

_We need to talk! There will be a DE meeting tomorrow night. Need to make sure your head is clear and won't interfere on the mission Jathy has to go with Snape. Also, I received a letter from the Council… Write back, use Fall for delivering the message. Would be unwise to use Hedwig. People gossip a lot… _

_Tom_

Harry burned the letter in his hand to ashes causing Hedwig to fly up in surprise. He took out a quill and a parchment and a book to use as stand to write on. Harry really didn't want to have to talk to Snape in any way. And he certainly had no interest on going on a mission with him. How was he suppose to look him in the eye after what happened?

_Funny you consider what happened!! _

_You idiot! _

_I can't look the man in the face and pretend nothing happened even if I don't remember!! I refuse the mission beforehand! _

_I'll be dropping by tonight around 2 am!!_

_Harry._

Harry called Hedwig over and put the parchment the way he had received his note. Then he turned the small pendant that hung on the owl's leg and saw the feathers change from white to black. 

"Well, Fall, you know what to do…" he gave her a treat and the owl leaned her head to the side looking at him as though he had gone nuts, but she didn't care. Harry knew she was quite intelligent and understood that it was necessary to change her appearance and name.

And the moment she was out of the window his roommates walked in. Classes were finished for today…

That night, when the others lay in bed sleeping he waited for the hours to pass, his thought wandered back to the day he had first stood as Jathy by the Dark Lord's side trying to calm his heartbeat and keep the calm air he needed so he wouldn't be discovered as a spy. He recalled the time Tom had taught him how to move and act around the Death Eaters and how Draco had suggested that he take a closer look at Snape and learn to keep his face expressionless as the professor did. And Harry had observed and learned, more than he was willing to acknowledge at the moment…

~*~*~*~*~

***Flashback***

Nothing in his life was ever going to be easy, especially if he considered that he was standing in the center of Death Eater Community, to his side current Dark Lord and momentary greatest annoyance to Harry Potter's irritated mind.

"Would you stop pacing around like a madman!" Harry said as he tried to calm Tom Riddle for the fifteenths time in the last hour. "You said everything would be fine."

"Potter, I don't know about you, but if something goes wrong tonight, not only will they want your head but the rest of ours too! I believe a little nervousness isn't wrong." Tom turned again, still annoyed. "And if you don't mind, I think it would be wise for you to activate those bracelets!"

"Listen, old man! I'm doing this out of goodwill and I won't stand here letting you, spoiled little Dark Lord, order me around!!"

Tom raised an eyebrow spinning around menacingly. "You can always walk out of here. I'm sure Dumbledore and your friends would be thrilled to know about your current whereabouts." He hissed.

"You wouldn't dare…"

Tom laughed darkly. "You don't know me half as well as your father did. I dare the world to stop spinning if I want to!!"

A hand hit hard on the table at the window. Tom and Harry twitched visibly turning to see Draco glaring icily at them. "If you two don't shut up, the Death Eaters will be your least to worry." He bared his fangs and growled at them. "Now, Harry, change! Tom, make sure he's ready for the meeting tonight." This said he apparated away to attend other matters.

Harry sighed and did as Draco had asked of him. He felt the glass on his wrist vibrate as he activated their magic. Their aura expanding quickly over his skin altering his appearance enough for people not to recognize him. The soft humming of magic around him calmed his senses, as he called forth the first level of transformation to a dragon. He felt his ears growl longer and pointy to the ends, automatically bettering his hearing. In his mouth his teeth grew enough for him to pass as a vampire. And he took his glasses off, knowing he wouldn't need them, and looked down at his pale hands, his fingernails seeming too long for a man.

Tom clapped his hands impressed. "A mastery, I must admit…" he walked once around Harry checking here and there that everything was indeed in place. "You don't look anything like yourself anymore…"

"Really?" Harry spoke with a voice that was also not his own, it had a low hiss in it, the way he remembered listening to snakes.

Tom nodded as he passed a hand over his youthful face. "Just your eyes remained the same. Emerald green…" He nodded amazed. "I mean your skin is all sallow and…" he picked Harry's arm up pushing the fabric of his sleeve up. "Your skin is almost transparent, it's rather disgusting… it looks like mine did after the Tournament." Harry's face darkened. "I… I'm sorry…" Tom apologized as he let go of the boy…

"I don't want to talk about that right now…" Harry shook his head trying to suppress the rising memories of the last school year. "Rather, tell me, what I should wear and what exactly you expect me to do…" he paused taking a deep breath before looking as expressionless as possible. "My Lord…" he finally added.

Tom pulled his hood over his face. "Then come…Jathy…"

***Flashback End***

~*~*~*~*~

Yes, that was how all his troubles had started and his life had gone from bloody complicated to fucking impossible to handle. Nowadays he had a pretty good deal of respect for Severus Snape who managed to remain—to some point—sane leading a double life. Harry himself found it rather difficult and sometimes he had trouble deciding who he truly was at the end of the day when he lay alone in bed brooding over his life. Was he Harry Potter, the boy who had a bounty on his head by Voldemort or was he rather Jathy, Voldemort's closest and most feared servant? He had no answer.

All Harry had clear was that he was not an ordinary boy as he so often had wished to be. He was not even human! At least not fully… Just from his mother's side and he somehow doubted that was even true. 

He rolled to the side curling into a fetal position.

Draco had told him so many things over the last year. So many things he was forced to accept as facts and part of his life, that he wondered if he really did cope with all that, or if he just suppressed all his problems into some subconscious level and one day they would all pop up and strangle him senseless for forgetting them. Whichever the case, he would have to wait for it to come when it came.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Well, I have added a few paragraphs in this chapter that my beta Anna suggested for a better understanding. Personally I don't think you have to re-read this… *shrugs* but that's entirely up to you, of course. Chapter 5 

He slid into the classroom, cloak billowing around him dramatically. Turning swiftly on his heels he starred menacingly at the 6th year class of Gryffindors and Slytherins. They shrank away at his glare.

"Quill and ink out, put the rest away, we're writing a test to prove once again how useless you are in this subject!" Severus scowled, picking up the chalk on his desk and preparing to fill the blackboard with questions.

The class moaned but quieted the moment he fixed them with a stare of his dark eyes. He saw a few shudder and it pleased him. It was better that they feared him and learned that the world was not going to be nice to them as early as possible. Although there were some who would never learn that. His eyes wandered to Potter, who, still looking pale around his eyes, seemed to be back on his feet. That boy would always attract trouble no matter how hard Severus tried to keep it away from him; it was annoying, but someone had to do it since the other idiots in this school, with the exception of maybe Dumbledore, seemed to be unable to do so. 

He finished writing the questions on the board and sat down on the edge of his desk to keep an eye on the students. 

He watched Longbottom squirm nervously in his seat while Granger tried to squeeze every bit of ink out of her quill so she wouldn't waste time refilling it more times than necessary. He sighed mentally, there went a few hours of sleep. That girl appeared to be unable to write all the information in short and well summarized answers.

A row behind them he saw Draco Malfoy biting down on his thumb as he wrote, lost in thoughts while his two side kicks tried to copy from him without catching his attention. He rolled his eyes ignoring them. Later he would simply scratch their test with a nice red line and write in a very tactful manner that they were about to flunk his class if they didn't start doing their own work.

Suddenly he felt his body tense as a burning sensation started to spread from his arm to the rest of is body. Voldemort was calling. And not only him but the rest of them as well… The fire he felt flaring through his mark indicated that it would be a Grand Meeting. Everybody would have to attend; it probably meant that the complete Inner Circle would gather as well. This would provide Severus with the best chance to see how far the Dark Lord's influences went and with some luck, he might be told about the rumors about the new tactic the Death Eater's were planning to use. 

Pale eyes looked up to his and he met Draco's calmly. Severus knew for a fact that the boy had been initiated during the last year and that he sought nothing more than power. The manner in which he behaved indicated how strong the child had become. If the gossip were true, then it would only be a matter of time before young Malfoy would even surpass his father's connections within the Death Eaters and most likely be chosen to join the Soul Circle of Voldemort. The group of his most trusted and feared men and women. The group to which Lucius was denied entrance due to the Twin Sister's influence. The circle to which Jathy, the Vampire belonged.

That man, young or old, one couldn't tell with vampires, had been introduced to the Inner Circle about a year ago, shortly before school had started. Severus could still recall with shuddering respect the man's dark, yet seductive way to glide through the mass without anyone noticing and suddenly resurface in their midst. His white teeth had shone dangerously, like a wolf's about to struck down his prey, as he had grinned at them. No, it wasn't at them; he had looked down at their inferiority. Severus would have believed it some childish spectacle if it hadn't been for the fact that Voldemort had chosen him as part of the Soul Circle. There was a naivety and innocence in the Vampire's eyes that made Severus still wonder sometimes if indeed it wasn't all an act.

Voldemort had partnered them in various occasions and he had witnessed the man's cruelness as he toyed with his victims. It was worse than watching Lucius have fun with those at his feet. How could anyone not have nightmares of the high-pitched screams he caused, the terror filled eyes starring out of dead bodies around him? Severus had to drink Dreamless-Sleep Potions more often than he cared to after having gone on missions with Jathy. Cold sweats build on his forehead whenever Voldemort ordered them to do his bidding. Animals were decent compared to how that vampire mangled his opponents. His skill and speed surpassed anything he had ever seen not to mention that he could do magic. 

Severus had read many books and researches on vampires in his life, but Jathy was unnatural to them. It was almost as if he made a category by himself. Usually humans turned to vampires retained only a fifth of their magical abilities, while the born ones had other skills to which one could add telepathy and spectacular self-transfiguration. But to justify the extend of magic Jathy used, it either meant the man had been awfully skilled and gifted as human, or he was not solemnly born as a vampire since he appeared to lack the ability to read others' minds. 

His mind refocused on his class as he saw Granger stop suddenly her assault on the parchments in front of her. She stared in what one could only interpret as shock before starting to scratch various parts of her writing and continuing on.

His eyes returned to young Malfoy who took out a new piece of parchement to fill. Severus sighed mentally; sometimes he really questioned his methods of teaching, not that he would confess that out loud. Making them write endless essays meant only that he would end up loaded with work at the end.

Malfoy, that boy was becoming more and more like his father, at least in by appearance, inside… Who knew? Severus pitied him; Jathy had his eyes fixed on him and it only caused fury in Lucius. He had tried various times to calm the older Malfoy, that it might be good on the long run to let Jathy take care of Draco, but Lucius had struggled fiercely against the idea. It might have to do with the fact that he felt overrun by his own offspring. 

The Professor narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing well that it would only make his students more nervous should they dare to look up to him.

During a meeting Jathy had suddenly jumped up from his position at Voldemort's feet. Everyone was alarmed but the Dark Lord had continued his speech ignoring his servant's behavior. He had moved like a hunting cat through their ranks sniffing here and there, a low growl emanating from him. The atmosphere had immediately tensed. Suddenly he had stopped before Severus breathing heavily, his green eyes looked almost lusting at him, before his deep voice echoed throughout the room clearly for everyone to hear. Even Voldemort had stopped speaking at his voice.

"Trai~tor~" he had hissed.

Severus had felt his heartbeat stop for seconds. Only years of conditioning himself to remain expressionless had saved him that day. Jathy had pushed him aside and had rested his glare on the figure of one of Voldemort's oldest followers. The man had stared, panicked, at the vampire. Yet unexpectedly it wasn't Jathy who took care of getting rid of him, but the Twins. They had resurfaced like shadows next to the vampire. Dark hunters approaching their meal hungrily. Severus couldn't remember very clearly what had happened next. The two women had lunched forward and then the air had been filled by the smell of burned skin and boiled blood. Only ashes remained at the spot… ashes accompanied by the awful laughter of a dark master who reminded his servants again how treason to him would be paid. Severus feared deep in his soul that one day they would uncover his secrets. 

He didn't know how Jathy had known that the old man had been a traitor, as it was proven to the rest of the Death Eaters shortly after. But it certainly hadn't been by telepathy, otherwise Severus would already be burning in hell for all his crimes.

On the other hand maybe Jathy was just playing with him… Sadistic bastard!

Or he was waiting to find some usefulness in his demise, after all not everyone reported directly to Dumbledore. He had voiced his concerns to this to the headmaster, who had only nodded and drank his tea. Severus was irritated by the lack of worry the older man had shown on various occasions and he had to wonder sometimes if Dumbledore really was as smart as people believed him to be…

There had been another meeting not too long ago, which he recalled quite clearly, to his dismay. The day Jathy had chosen Draco Malfoy as his feeding source. As often as his students compared him with vampires, he had never actually witnessed a feeding. It had been disgusting and terrifying as only a dead thing can be.

They had sat in their seats waiting for the Dark Lord to make his big entrance as usual. The door had opened and Jathy had come in instead glaring annoyed at them, before a smile had spread on his face. That instant Severus' head had felt as though some heavy mist was pressing down on him. His skin had started to itch and then he felt lust, sexual lust, rising in every part of his system almost driving him insane. As he regained a bit of focused, he saw Draco slowly standing up from his seat. His eyes were dazzled, his hood thrown back; he took step by step towards the red haired man with the green eyes. He seemed to sleepwalk. Severus had heard Lucius calling his son back, but Draco never looked back at the rest of them who were frozen and trapped in their seats. Jathy had looked up at them and had grinned. And the moment he had done so, Severus had felt all his longing and yearning turn to horror as cold as the grave. He imagined that he must have turned pale as the white bones in shroud. He had seen the sullen glare in those eyes; they were suddenly less human, their pupil turning into a slit like cats' or dragons' eyes. And then Jathy had grinned wider showing them his longer teeth. He had the image of something dead coming back to life within the darkness of the room. He had reached for the boy… and then the scream had begun. He would hear that sound in his worst nightmares for a long time on. Draco screaming as a child in nightmare as he tried to back away, but the long and bare arms had snaked around him pulling him closer to the vampire. Jathy had cocked his head and then had thrust forward. 

Draco still bore the mark of that night on him, two small punctures like pinpricks below his jaw.

Finally class ended and the students handed him their work. At the door he saw Potter and Malfoy bump against one another. Draco snapped an insult at the Gryffindor but was immediately quieted by a fist punching him in the face. Severus sighed and walked over to them knowing quite well that he must look menacing since the students quickly made way for him to pass. The moment he reached Potter, Draco hit back with the same force throwing the Golden Boy of his feet against the wall behind him. Weasley and the other students were about to interfere.

"STOP THIS NONSENSE!!" Severus shouted. 

All flinched at the sound of his voice. Potter and Draco looking up at him perplexed. They probably hadn't realized they were still in his classroom.

"That will be twenty-five points from Gryffindor for physically harming a classmate, Potter! And detention for both of you tomorrow night at 7pm here." He snarled.

The boys turned their faces angrily away. "Yes, professor." They said.

~*~*~*~*~

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" 

Harry gazed up at Draco from his current position cleaning the Potion's classroom's floor with a sponge. Snape had left a while back, leaving them to do their duty since the headmaster had called for him, the old man wanted to be filled in on the Grand Meeting last night. 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked after he got up and settled on a chair.

"You've been avoiding me, Harry." The Slytherin said with a heavy sigh. "I've been watching you… You're hiding something from me… I thought you'd have learned to trust me by now." Draco threw his sponge into the empty cauldron and he moved his hand annoyed, spelling the room clean. He walked over to Harry and sat on the desk next to him. "I'm your mentor…" he shook his head. "No, you're my friend. Why can't you tell me what is troubling you?" 

Harry blinked a bit startled that the other stated back to him that they were indeed friends. His mentor had never actually spoken it out loud. He shook lightly his head focusing back on the matter and sighed. "It has nothing to do with not trusting you Draco. By now you should have realized that I have learned to respect you not only as my mentor but also as a friend. You have taught me many things over the last year. And I have managed to come to terms with the fact that Tom isn't as bad, as people believe him to be." He coughed a few times before continuing: "I mean I never suspected I could do wandless magic this precisely, nor that I would be able to surpass Trelawney in Divination."

Draco laughed. "That isn't very hard."

Harry grinned. "Oh, but you haven't seen her on her really creepy predictions." He shuddered at the memory.

Draco jumped down to the ground and turned swiftly with a smile to Harry. "That was very cunning of you, trying to change the subject, Potter, but I haven't been in Slytherin for 6 years for mere fun." His eyes turned hard. "Spill it!"

The Gryffindor rolled his eyes knowing he was defeated. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you." He let his eyes wander up to the ceiling as he leaned his head back. It made him dizzy but he tried to remain in control. "I think Snape suspects something…"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Snape?"

Harry glance back to him. "You know that he and I are often send on missions together." He didn't wait for Draco to reply. "God, Draco, and you said you aren't in Slytherin for the fun of it and that man is the Head of House for crying out loud! I can't keep on deceiving him; I see my mask crumble before him every time he looks at me. I can see suspicion and curiosity flaring in his eyes when I let the darkness that sleeps within Tom come out through me. You didn't see the disgust on his usual calm face as you screamed in my arms!" He felt desperation wave through him as well as fear. "And when I'm here in his class I can't manage to look at him, because I see the hate he has towards me, Harry Potter!!"

Draco starred at the outburst remaining quite for a long time as Harry pulled his legs up, feet balancing on the edge of the chair, and put his arms around them hiding his face. 

Before him was a broken child. A child he had pushed too hard during the last year, a child who was keeping everything inside of him, letting it fester and tear him from the inside, and Draco knew that soon it would break loose with the Seasoning, and therefore Harry's Awakening, approaching.

He reached out with a hand but then, unsure of what to do, let it fall back on his side as he looked down guiltily. He wasn't good at comforting people, that wasn't what he was supposed to do. That had always been Drake's expertise, but she was… Draco shook his head. This wasn't the time to remember the past, he had promised James he would take care of his child. He owned his best friend this much; he owned it in some strange way to himself. And so for a second time, he reached out, this time not hesitating to take the sobbing child in his arms. To hold and protect, to comfort and be someone who loved him. Proving to that child that he would never be alone as long as Draco had anything to say about this.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus apparated to the outside of Malfoy Manor. Lucius and some others were already waiting for him to use the Portkey to Voldemort's hideout. Since his encounter with the Potter-boy the Dark Lord had decided to give them a prepared Portkey at the end of every reunion that would lead a small group of them to his momentary hideout. In other words the man had become suspicious of their loyalties and deemed it safe to keep his whereabouts secret. The only ones who knew for fact where he was were those of the Soul Circle. It wasn't easy, and getting increasingly harder to give Albus any useable information.

Lucius greeted him and they waited for a few more moments for everyone to gather and then touch the Dark Arts book that was this time's transport medium. Severus felt the pull of magic as the world was suddenly swallowed away and he was sucked into the Portkey. Then everything went back so abruptly that he almost fell of his feet, but managed in last moment to remain somewhat upright, unlike others who had been either squashed by those nearby or simply had landed face-down on the ground like Lucius. He helped his old schoolmate to his feet, looking around at the mass of people already sitting in the huge hall. There must be thousands of Death Eaters here. 

Lucius grinned at him as he put his mask on and made his way to the seats solemnly reserved for the Inner Circle at the front. Severus noticed that neither Voldemort nor Jathy were here yet, but the two blond female concubines of the Dark Lord had already settled down at their place at their master's feet. They glanced around the room calmly with unreadable expressions. 

Severus was about to follow Lucius as someone tugged at his robe and he turned to look at Draco Malfoy's face.

"The Dark Lord wishes to speak to you," said the blond boy noticing him to follow.

With a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach, he followed after the boy. He was lead out of the room, which was magically resealed after they exited. The boy made his way through large corridors, here and there turning and Severus had to admit after a while that he was slowly loosing orientation. For a moment he wondered how Draco could know his way, but then as the boy turned to him as they stopped in front of a metal door, he saw the mark of the vampire on his neck, and he knew that it was probably Jathy who had taught the boy the labyrinth's ways. 

"Pass through the door. You will find a passage that leads to another door. Enter and wait to be called," the boy said and then made his way back.

Taking a deep breath Severus reached for the door handle but it remained closed. He frowned slightly and leaned his hand thoughtfully on the metal surface. Surprisingly it gave away under his hand and he fell forward into a well-lighted corridor with various painting on the wall.

"He could have told me he mean it literally when he said 'through' the door." he scowled as he made carefully his way. 

The paintings on the walls caught his attention. They showed Dragons flying in the sky; the pictures showed freedom and an air of such calmness that for an instant he forgot that he was on his way to meet the Dark Lord if he hadn't run into the door at the end the corridor.

He knocked twice and stepped inside. The room was warm and cozy. It was awfully gryffindorish, almost like Minerva's quarters, full of bright colors. Here too there were paintings of Dragons on the walls. Yet, Voldemort's pet snake curled up on the ground looking calmly at him, disrupted the whole image. Where the hell had he ended up? From the couch on the window he heard a muffled sound and he glanced at its source. 

There lay Jathy sleeping on his stomach, one arm hanging down to the ground, the other tugged under his head. His breathing causing his body to shift slightly up and down. His lips were partly open but he could still manage to see the sharp end of his fangs. The man's hair fell into his face and Severus felt the sudden urge to go over and tug it behind his ear. Jathy looked like an innocent young man, almost like one of his students. He wondered if he should wake him.

Nagini hissed from the ground and slid over the vampire and stubbed his hand. The vampire growled and waved the snake away who barely dodged Jathy's hand. Severus eyes noticed a book lying on the ground next to the couch. Curiosity got the better of him and he went over and picked it up. Marking the page that had been open with a finger he closed it and looked at the title. He blinked surprised; this was one of the books this year's sixth year were using in Transfiguration. He flapped a few pages finding here and there various handwritings marking some paragraphs. There were sketches and comments on the edges. He frowned. He knew those handwritings. How could he not, it was Weasley's and Potter's. He could recognize any of his students' handwriting anywhere. Hundreds of questions formed in his head immediately.

The snake next to him hissed louder this time and the vampire hissed something back opening his eyes slowly. Severus glanced down to meet emerald eyes looking at him, blinking in shock. 

"Professor!" the young man jumped to his feet alarmed starring at Severus. "I'm sorry, I… I…" he seemed indeed like a student who had just woken up in his class. He fidgeted nervously with his clothing and reached with a hand to move his hair behind his ear. 

And it froze the moment he touched it. Severus watched as the slender fingers slowly moved along the length of his pointy ear. Eyes turned wide before glancing around quickly. He saw realization brighten them and in a matter of seconds the young man's whole body language changed drastically. Now it was radiating power, darkness and self-assertiveness. 

Green eyes glanced at him, their pupil turning into a small slit. "What are you doing here, Professor Snape." Came the low hiss.

Severus watched him, examining, trying to determine which was the real Jathy, the child who had awoken, or the man that faced him now. It was strange that although everyone here called him by either his given name or simply Snape, the vampire kept on referring to him as Professor Snape. Even after he had allowed Jathy to call him Severus.

"I came on our Master's request." He answered.

The snake hissed again. She seemed angry. Jathy rolled his eyes and made a grimace. "I shall be going then and leave you to the Lord's business."

Severus watched him leave before letting his eyes wander back on to the book in his hands. There on the surface barely readable, he could make out the carvings of an H and a P. 

~*~*~*~*~

He calmed down slowly as Draco held him. But the fear that the Potion Master had seen through him wasn't leaving him. He pulled away from the Slytherin, his eyes closed. He felt sick, worse than before. It was as though the world was spinning around him faster and faster. He tried to reach for something nearby, but lost balance and fell of the chair. He heard Draco call out to him alarmed as cold fever rushed through him. His lungs tightened up before he started to cough. Something warm and familiar remained on his tongue. Blood. He tried to stop it, but it continued to flow out of him as he threw up and his body started to shiver uncontrollably. He cried in fear. Oh, god! How had Tom been able to hold through all this for weeks?

Draco tried to hold Harry's body but it struggled on the ground. He watched, horrified, the amounts of blood the boy coughed out. He felt nauseated as the other vomited. Merlin! Harry was indeed sick and in a worse state than Tom had ever been. Panic ran through the Slytherin's mind. What should he do, he couldn't use magic on Harry, not without help. He wasn't as strong as James had been to join their energy until he could get help.

So he did the only thing that came to his mind. He ran.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus was on his way to the classroom in which Draco and Potter were serving detention when he heard an alarmed scream echo through the corridor. Then Draco came running around the corner, the boy's pale eyes widened in relief.

"Professor! Potter!! He needs help!!" Panic was written all over the boy's face as he ran towards him and pointed back the way he came from. "He's coughing blood and feverish!"

Severus hurried past him and entered the classroom. The air smelled of vomit mixed with blood. The Gryffindor was lying on the stone floor trembling, his eyes closed tightly as he coughed. Severus could see the energy flowing out of the young man. He reached out but was thrown back by Harry's energy leashing out.

"Draco, get Poppy and the Headmaster as well as McGonagall." He turned to the nervous boy. "Hurry!"

The Slytherin nodded slowly before turning and running out. Severus focused his attention on the shivering boy who gasped for air. Again he reached out, focusing his thoughts and energy to reassure the young man that he was not going to harm him. It worked. He saw the energy moving in synchronic waves to his own. Carefully he put his hand under the boy's head, his other under the boy's knees and pulled him up into his arms. Severus could feel the heat rising from the boy as Harry's head leaned against his shoulder. Blood smeared his black clothing as he coughed once again.

Swiftly he made his way to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey was already expecting him and showed him to lay Harry on one of the beds. Shortly after Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived, Draco following them, concerned.

Severus watched the boy's body arc up like a bow as his muscles tensed. Blood kept on streaming from his gaping mouth and the boy struggled desperately for air. Madam Pomfrey ordered him and Minerva to hold him down and turn him over in order not to suffocate Potter. He barely registered the things she said to the headmaster who hurried out into her office.

Potter's green eyes gazed quickly around searchingly and he tried to speak, but all he managed was a cry like a tortured animal. Severus felt his blood freeze as his mind started to give him answers to what he was witnessing. The boy… he was showing symptoms of the virus the Death Eaters were currently discussing to use and weaken the magical population eliminating those who were not pureblood. But Potter couldn't have it. How? 

Minerva lost hold of her student as he began kicking and hitting around with his arms slapping her in the face and throwing off her glasses to the ground. The boy rolled to Severus side who barely caught him. Almost loosing control of Potter and letting him fall Madam Pomfrey tried to approach and help him. Then suddenly Harry's body went limp against him. The room filled with silence except for a sobbing sound a heavy breathing. Carefully Severus and Poppy laid Harry back on the bed, the boy gazing in shock up to the ceiling, his eyes unfocused.

Dumbledore returned with vials in his arms and handed them to the medi-witch. She approached Harry slowly and lifted the boy's head putting a relaxing potion to his lips. Severus watched as the boy sank back into a semi-sleeping state.

"Please, let me check on him now, I'll call you when I need help." Madam Pomfrey said turning to them.

Minerva repaired her broken glasses and nodded accompanying the Potion Master and Dumbledore to the medi-witch's office. Severus turned once more to look back hearing still the sobbing sound. And it wasn't coming from Potter.

"Severus?" Dumbledore asked as he walked slowly to the entrance of the infirmary.

The Potion Master's eyes went wide as he saw his Slytherin cowering in the corner. Draco sat on the ground, arms around his legs, head leaned slightly back, and his pale eyes were blank. Blank like the day Jathy had summoned him to feed. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face and Severus wondered for a moment, if it wasn't maybe this child, who was the source to Potter's suffering. Pushing the thought aside for now, he approached Draco and picked him up, like he had the Gryffindor earlier, and carried him along to Poppy's office. Minerva and Dumbledore looked questioning at him. Severus just shook his and nodded them to follow.

~*~*~*~*~

Draco sat in one corner of the infirmary, legs drawn up to his chest, his arms around his legs head resting on them. Ironically it was exactly the same pose Harry assumed when he had broken down in the classroom. 

He had his eyes closed tightly as he cried in worry as a mother would for her child. He had suppressed this side of him over the years to be the strong leader the Dragons needed. Drake was stubborn but too emotional, especially when it came to anything involving James. And since James' death Drake had withdrawn from reality leaving him in charge. He was in control of this body now, but she had resurfaced once sixth years ago at the sight of Harry Potter, and now again she was struggling to come free to protect the boy that was James'. And Draco knew this wasn't the time.

He leaned his head back, letting the tears flow out of him unrestrained concentrating all his energy on keeping Drake asleep as long as possible. He couldn't let his sister out; she would never allow them to continue this path they had chosen. It was too dangerous for Tom and Harry. No, she wouldn't allow it under any circumstances. 

But Draco was at his end. It was already bad that Tom had been sick like this. It had been hard to conceal those thoughts of worry from Drake. He had shared his energy with Tom to help him, but the other was a God, not a Dragon like Draco, so it was only a matter of time before he would recover on his own, yet he had stilled drained much of the dragon's energy. Draco still hadn't recovered fully. Especially with keeping up those acts in front of the Death Eaters about Jathy using him. It forced a lot of magic out of him. 

Harry on the other hand was half-dragon, worse, he was the last Yorae, and their all survival was based on James' prediction of the new era. Harry would never be able to fight this sickness, he might not survive and it would be Draco's fault because he had not considered this. The virus only attacked non-magical beings. Harry was not a pureblood wizard, his blood was of mixed heritage, he didn't have the strength to fight of the illness on his own.

He opened his eyes slightly, seeing only blurs through the tears. He heard the sound of voices and movements as the teachers moved around Harry on the other side of the room. What should he do? What could he do with Fred and George staying over night at Tom's? He was on his own again, as so many years ago… How was he to explain this to the Council? Now, that they wanted them to return? … This time there would be no James to help him at the last minute…

His mind started to spin and his head felt as though it wanted to explode from all the crying he had tried to keep inside, but now his loud sobs joined the roaming of the others. Emotions he had thought forgotten pushed through his being. It was only a matter of time. Drake was awakening. Soon he wouldn't be able to hold her back. Soon she would reclaim what was rightfully hers… This body…

~*~*~*~*~

Minerva remained quite as Severus went through Poppy's shelves and picked out a few vials and gave them Draco to drink. The boy seemed absentminded, as though he wasn't even aware of his surrounding. The boy's eyes blinked tiredly a few times before he returned to sleep on the couch.

"Severus, what happened?" Albus finally asked.

The Potion Master sighed and turned to them. Minerva had the impression that he seemed to have aged in the last moments by years.

"I know as much as you, Albus." He answered rather calmly. "Mr. Malfoy was running in the corridors searching for help. He seemed panicked by Potter. When I entered the classroom, the boy was lying in vomit and his own blood trembling all over. When I picked him up, I could feel the fever on him."

"How come no one has noticed? Something like this doesn't happen just like this." Minerva turned to the headmaster.

The old man passed thoughtfully his hand over his beard. "Severus, does this by any chance have anything to do with Voldemort's current plans?"

"I'm not sure." He paused. "There are rumors that there are groups investigating on old curses and illnesses… But he couldn't have caused it on Potter without risking too much…"

"You're not denying that it might have been You-know-who?" Minerva crossed her arms, her lips turning white as she pressed them together. "You think Mr. Malfoy might be responsible?"

"I doubt it." Albus said. "He would be a far too obvious. Voldemort isn't this stupid to incriminated his faithful servants' families. He would have used someone else."

Minerva wanted to protest but was surprisingly interrupted by Severus. "You're too trusting Albus." He said. "He could have been manipulated to do such and maybe-"

"I didn't infect Potter…"

They all turned to see Draco sitting on the couch looking paler than usual. The boy whipped the traces of tears of his face with his sleeve. Severus narrowed his eyes. The Potion he had given his student would have kept any human knocked out for at least two hours.

"But I…I can tell you what he has…" Draco's eyes blazed slightly for an instant. "I don't want him to suffer and I can't help him… I just can't…" he let his head hang as tears started to form again in the corner of his eyes. "I promised to protect him, I have to keep my word…" he started sobbing again.

Minerva's female instincts made her move to the Slytherin and hug him to her. She whispered calming words rubbing the boy's back in soothing motion. She saw Severus scowl from the corner of her eye.

"Draco, what can you tell us about what is causing this to Harry." Albus spoke as he came closer as well.

The boy pushed Minerva from him and looked away. "It's called Karerukoto… it's an epidemic. The Death Eaters have been doing research on it, but I swear if I had know that Harry- " he cried more. "I wouldn't have let him… I wouldn't…" And Draco passed out in Minerva's arms.

She turned, confused, to the men. The headmaster seemed lost as she was, but apparently Severus knew what Draco had referred to, because his eyes were wide and he appeared shocked. 

"I need to go to the library immediately!" the Potion Master said as he ran out of the room leaving the rest of the in puzzlement.


	7. Chapter 6

AN:

Thanks again to Lexi and Anna for fixing the grammar and all.

Karerukoto Ryuukou-byou: comes from the Japanese, 'karerukoto' is the noun version of the Verb 'karemas' which means 'to wither'. As for 'Ryuukou-byou', that is the word for epidemic (or at least that is what I got out of the dictionary, if by any chance it happens to be wrong than let me know so I can change it…). Also it might happen that I write it this way: Ryūkō-byō, because that is they way I'm used to write my Japanese 'ou' or 'uu' in classes…

Anyway enjoy^_^

**Chapter 6**

"What do you think we should do next?" asked Harry as Fred helped him sit up in his bed.  A week and a half had passed since he had fallen sick in the dungeon and he had been brought to the infirmary. A week and a half since Draco had more or less confessed that he and Harry weren't enemies. A terribly long week it had been… 

Thanks to the research of the Potion Master, Harry had been more or less been rid of the really bad traits of his sickness. Draco had apologized for having forgotten that Harry might be infected due his mother's muggle heritage. Fred and George had even gone so far as to go back to the High Council and announce that their return had to be delayed until the Yorae was fit again. Or at least that it was they had said. Draco wasn't so sure on that, because if they indeed had done so, then their clan wouldn't have allowed them to return here since the two had already overstayed their time in the human world. And Tom had somehow managed to convince the Death Eaters that Jathy was off on a mission and couldn't come. Still, the professors wanted answers, which they couldn't give… not yet.

"Well first, you must get better first," said Draco as he yawned tiredly. He had last night gone to Tom and helped him not to have a fallback into his illness. Draco had said it was much easier to control due Tom's God blood.

"I'm already feeling better," Harry protested.

"Oh, is that so?" George raised an eyebrow. "How come you're still stuck here in the infirmary?"

Harry pouted; he hated to be tied up to a bed unable to do anything.

"By the way…" Fred sat down next to Harry. "I talked to Marv earlier, he said the Death Eaters were making a move on the Southern Regions." Marv was how they referred to Tom in public, when there was a chance of others listening.

Draco blinked. "My father hasn't said anything."

"Your father is a loser, Draco," said George annoyed. "Lucius has a great deal of influence in the Inner circle, but he's still nothing more than a mere pawn in all of this."

Draco crossed his arms. "Whether that is true or not, we cannot forget that he's seen as one of Voldemort's most trusted men."

The others nodded in understanding.

"Have you any idea how Marv's influence is doing?" Fred asked the boy next to him.

Harry shrugged. "All I can say is that he is making a big handful of followers, but I thinks that more out of fear than real trust and believe. " He looked at Draco, sitting to his right. "What about you?"

"Not good enough, people say I'm striving to take over my father's place."

George sighed. "In other words the only person with enough power in this would still be Snape."

"Ha, ha, ha…Like that would help us!" said his twin with a sarcastic tone. "He doesn't even know how great his influences truly are, and we can't simply go to him and say: Professor, did you know that you could rival Voldie's influence among the DE's?" he snorted annoyed. "That would only mean we'd have to reveal our true powers…"

Harry nodded in agreement. "Something like, hey people, were are all not truly human, but half-breed dragons' and/or gods."

"That sounds stupid, even to me," said George.

Draco leaned back in his seat. "Well, what will you have me do?" he looked at his friends. "I'm open to any suggestions."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sirius walked next to Lupin in his Animagus form as Professor McGonagall led them to the headmaster's office.

"Minerva, have you any idea what this is all about? Albus doesn't simply call for us without a good reason," Remus said.

Minerva sighed. "It's not so bad anymore so don't worry."

Sirius made a sound and Remus nodded. "Is it about Harry?" he asked for his friend.

McGonagall turned her head slightly. "Yes." She stopped before the door and opened it inviting the other two to step inside.

"Ah, Remus and Sirius, good that you could make it," the headmaster said as he saw them enter. "Come and sit down and I shall explain everything."

Remus smiled thankfully and took place in an empty chair next to the headmaster. He nodded Snape a greeting seeing him sitting in one of the seats. The Potion Master snorted back. Sirius changed back in order to be able to glare at Snape more effectively. He would gladly have made a rude comment about the Potion Master if the look on Remus' face hadn't stopped him. So he quietly settled down as far away from the slimy man as possible. Finally Minerva joined them after closing the door.

"Albus, before you start on anything, we would like to know about Harry," said the werewolf.

The headmaster narrowed his eyes. "I know you want to know about Harry, but first things first." He folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. "Tell me have you heard of the Karerukoto Ryuukou-byou?"

"Isn't that the name of an epidemic that was let loose in the Asian lands during the Dark Ages to lower the muggle population and eventually eliminate it? Withering Epidemic is the translation, I believe…" Sirius said slowly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes it is a virus, which attacks the non-magical cell-structure of the human being. To us wizards it's harmless unless one does not come from a pure line heritage…"

Remus was beginning to see where this was leading. "How pure?" he asked, not sure he really wanted to know.

"At least two generations, we think, maybe more. " answered Minerva.

Sirius's face darkened in worry. "What are you getting at? Does Harry-"

"We believe Voldemort is using this virus, " interrupted the headmaster.

"But if that is true that would mean that most of the world's population would simply be…"

"Eliminated!"  Minerva finished Remus' sentence. "Yes, that's true, and worst of all, how many pure lines can we trace back? The old wizard families as the Malfoy or the Weasley would surely suffer no harm, but what about others?"

Remus' face went pale. "What are the symptoms? … How can we stop this?" The true depth of Voldemort's plan was slowly sinking in.

"Severus here, has been doing research since we know about this. It seems we are able to slow the process, but I believe he can explain it much better than I. " Dumbledore looked at Snape and motioned him with a hand movement to go ahead.

Severus turned to them. "Since I know that neither of you are any good when it comes to Potions I'll make this simple."

Sirius growled, annoyed but Remus glared at Sirius to keep his temper.

"The victim of this Virus seems to start by suffering a lack of concentration, then the illness takes over the motor activity of the body. In other words, one suffers from sight-problems, sudden trembling of the muscles up to convulsions. It might also occur for the body to make sudden moves without the knowledge of the person. This all is accompanied by high fever which are regularly punctuated by cold ones, but this, I believe, may vary." Snape paused to see if the others could follow him so far. "Another problem I was able to notice is that the virus slowly consumes the blood-structure enabling the body to continue building it and taking down it's natural defenses against other illnesses.  And of course, it comes all accompanied with the other normal symptoms of a cold, coughing and such. Not forgetting that the magical essence within our cells is turned into a matter which the body starts to reject and eventually attack with it's remaining defenses." Severus closed his eyes with a dry smile on his face. "The victim's body is being killed slowly on a cellular level until it eventually dies. Of course, for those of pure heritage the disease has no effect since the magic within builds a united front against the virus and it is unable to attach itself to the body." He re-opened his eyes. " And before I forget, it seems to damage the mind as well, probably the memory."

Sirius gaped at him before his shocked expression turned to anger. "What's with your stupid smile?!"

Snape snorted. "As horrible as it may sound to you, Black, whoever came up with this was a genius; a madman and a genius." 

Seeing that Sirius would pretty soon decide on killing the Potion Master, Remus thought it better to intervene. "Albus said the process could be slowed down… How long does it actually take?"

Severus focused his attention on him. "I think four weeks, I'm not entirely sure though. The documents on this are old and the symptoms varied in each patient." he turned his head slightly and his hair fell forward disguising his features. "But, yes, I have come up with a method to slow it down. This allows the body to grow stronger and rebuild its magical forces against it and fight the sickness back on its own." He explained.

"How does this virus-"

"By air." Severus answered if knowing Remus' line of thoughts. "Although, it might be able to be passed on through other means."

"You're not sure?" Sirius glared at Snape.

"We are talking about an ancient, barely known virus." Severus snapped.

Remus sighed. "Sirius please!" his friend remained quiet this time. He rolled his eyes and focused on the others. "So Harry has been infected?"

Sirius' head turned alarmed to Remus.

"Yes." The headmaster confirmed. "He has been sick for at least three weeks."

"WHAT?!!" Sirius jumped from his seat. "That's impossible Lily and James were both-"

"Weren't you listening, Black?! At least two generations! Lily came from a Muggle family, or have you already forgotten that?" Severus was starting to lose his calm.

Remus got up and pushed Sirius back into his seat. "How is Harry?"

"Oh, the boy has been doing much better thanks to Severus' potion," said Dumbledore with a calm smile. "He should be able to attend classes again by next week."

Snape snorted.

"Yes, he is much better, if I think of the day when we had to bring him to the infirmary…" Minerva shook her head dismissing the memory.

"When was that?" 

Remus sighed mentally, Sirius should calm down.

"A week and a half ago. He collapsed after Potion class. Mr. Malfoy had detention with him in the dungeon and it seems as though Harry suffered a total break down." Albus explained. "He started to cough blood, he already had a high fever and his body was shivering. Mr. Malfoy immediately aided Harry and notified Professor Snape of the situation. Then it was just a matter of time before we were told." He nodded at Minerva.

"I bet it's the slimy git's fault or Lucius' little brat's!!" Sirius spat, glaring daggers at Snape, but the other took a deep breath and ignored him.

"Sirius, I can assure you that neither Severus nor young Malfoy had anything to do with this," said Dumbledore calmly. "As a matter of fact, it was Mr. Malfoy who told us about how long Harry had been truly sick and explained his suspicion on the virus pointing out the symptoms for us. The boy has been very concerned for your godson's well being."

"That is just more reason _not_ to trust him!!" Sirius was furious. "I bet his father was the one who got him to do the dirty job! They all just crawl at Voldemort's feet!!"

"You think Lucius Malfoy is that stupid, Padfoot?" asked Remus narrowing his eyes. "No, I am on Albus' side on this, neither Severus nor the boy are responsible."

"Then who?!" Sirius wanted someone to blame and to kick off the tower to vent his anger.

"We think Draco knows, but he's afraid to tell." Minerva reached for a cup of tea on the table, which the house elves had brought at some point during the shouting. "And so does Harry, but neither one wants to share this information."

"I don't understand. Why would Harry refuse to give out important information like that?" Remus murmured low.

Hearing his question she answered: "We don't know, and we can't force him to tell us either, since no one else has been contaminated. Although we do keep him in quarantine."

"Maybe you two could get him to cooperate with us." Albus glance at both of them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, you two, we've got class in a few minutes. We'll see you later," said Fred as he dragged George out of the infirmary before Madam Pomfrey could decide to show up. Although, George was pretty sure that he had done the Don't-think-about-me spell very well.

"You've got to go too, right?" Harry asked as he lifted the wizard's chess from his bed and put it on the table to his right.

"Not really. Potion's class has been canceled for today. Snape's in a reunion with Dumbledore about your sickness." Said Draco as he walked over to Harry's other bedside and pulled the table forward so that they could play a game. "You know, your friends have been very worried. Weasley thinks I drugged you during detention and the Know-it-all believes the same."

Harry smiled amused. "Sorry, I didn't think I would actually collapse."

"It's my fault anyway. I forgot about your mom." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have let you near Tom in the first place." He started to arrange the figures on the board. "I mean, Tom being sick is one thing, he'll live through anything, even you."

Harry sighed and laid a hand on the Slytherin's shoulder. "What's done is done."

"Yeah, but I still can feel how my heart stopped as you started convulsing on the ground." He passed a hand through his hair, his eyes looked haunted. "And then the blood and…" he turned fearfully to Harry. "I thought: 'he's dying and I can't stop it!!'" His expression lightened again. "And the next thing that came to me was 'Tom will kill me, if Harry dies!'"

Harry smiled at Draco's display. "I can imagine his face when you told him."

Draco sighed rolling his eyes. "Are you nuts? I send the twins to tell him. I'm not suicidal!"

Harry laughed this time and Draco couldn't help but join in. He was glad the other was feeling better. Just in that instant Harry bend over coughing badly.

Draco jumped up in alarm. "Are you alright?" he asked as he reached out worriedly and started to move his hand in circling, calming motions over the dark haired boy's back.

Harry's breathing slowly went back to normal. "O…Okay…" he closed his eyes, tears rolling down his face. Ever since the day he collapsed he was aware of how terrible the virus was and that he could die if he didn't take care of himself properly.

Draco pushed the table aside and sat down on the bed pulling Harry into a comforting embrace. "Shh… It's fine now. Don't worry." He rocked the other boy back and forth, his brow furred, draing the world to try and harm the child in his arms. He continued a while until he could only hear small sobs against his chest. He pushed Harry carefully back on the bed. "Maybe it would be better if you rested now," said the Slytherin.

Harry nodded whipping the remaining tears of his face with his hands. "Will you stay?"

Draco smiled warmly. "Of course." He pulled Harry's covers up giving him a kiss on the forehead. He then settled in the chair nearby and took a book out of his schoolbag.

"What's that?" Harry asked tiredly, dismissing the thought that his mentor was acting more emotional than usual.

"An old story book from the clan. It's about legends and mystic events and stuff like that."

Harry yawned closing his eyes as he rolled to the side facing Draco. "Will you read me one?"

Draco blinked. "It's in…" he paused. "Never mind." He opened the book and started to read aloud. He didn't really think Harry understood all the words he said, but Draco guessed that it didn't matter to the boy whether he understood the old Dragon language or not, but that he wasn't alone when he succumbed to the darkness of sleep. And so he continued page after page until, he too, feel into Morpheus' embrace.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"He has been quiet for some time. I think he's still asleep. I was going to wake him to see if he would eat a little bit."

Draco rubbed his eyes sleepily as he glanced around familiarizing himself with his surroundings.

"Can we go see him, Poppy?"

He stretched his back and yawned, trying to get the sleep off him.

"Hmm, I guess, but remember he's still not fully healed, so I don't want any of you to cause him stress or anything."

Draco blinked suddenly as his mind finally registered the voices.

"Well, come on you two he's back here."

Draco jumped up hearing the approaching steps and voices of the teachers. He pushed Harry lightly on the shoulder.

"Potter!" he hissed, stressed. "Wake up!"

Harry stirred lightly and opened an eye slowly. "Wha iz i'…"

"Someone's coming! Where's your cloak!"

Harry blinked trying to focus on Draco, which wasn't working without glasses. "What?"

"The Invisibility Cloak! Where is it?!" Draco growled.

Harry pushed himself up and reached under his pillow bringing the cloak to light. "Here-"

Draco grabbed it and threw it over his shoulder before sliding under the bed. "Harry the book!"

Harry leaned down. "What?"

"The book!" hissed the Slytherin.

Harry looked around and saw a dark blur at the end of his bed. He crawled over to it and was about to hand it down to his friend as Sirius' voice startled him and he let it fall to the floor. Remus reached for it picking it up looking curiously at the cover.

"Si…Sirius?!" Harry stuttered surprised

"Harry!"  And a moment later he found himself in the loving embrace of his godfather. "How are you feeling?" Sirius sat next to him on the bed. "They told us, me and Remus…" he nodded at his friend before focusing his complete attention on his godson. "…about your sickness."

"Ah… they did?" Harry looked nervously at the people around him. Professor Dumbledore stood next to Snape and his Head of House next to Remus holding Draco's book. He cursed mentally. "Professor Lupin, could I… my book…" he pointed at the man's hands. "Err…Could I have it back?"

Remus smiled and handed it back to Harry. "Interesting book. What is it exactly?"

Harry smiled nervously. "Children's stories… It's a… present. Yes, a present from…from a friend…" he took the book and placed it under his pillow crawling back under the covers.

"And what language is it?"

Harry's head snapped to the werewolf. "What?"

"The language, I didn't recognize the writing."

"I… I…" he was trapped.

"Oh Moony! Leave him alone. He's been sick, who cares about a piece of paper." Sirius said, turning first to Remus, then back to Harry. "You look much better than I expected.

Harry sighed relieved. "I do feel better…"

Madam Pomfrey appeared then, pushing the separating curtain aside, bringing with her a trail with food and medicine as well as other medical stuff Harry wasn't really interested in getting acquainted with.

"Now, don't get the boy worked up, he still needs some good rest." She said as she pushed him so he would lay back. She took his wrist in her hand checking his pulse, then checked his temperature and finally ordered him to take the medicine. Then she left closing them off from the rest of the infirmary again.

"Harry." Albus started. "I let Sirius and Remus come to see if you're maybe willing to tell them where and how you got your illness." The headmaster let a chair appear and settled down.

Minerva followed his example. Snape on the other hand remained where he was glaring at him as he usually did. Harry gulped, it was one thing to keep a secret from the headmaster, another from his Head of House, a complete different issue was to keep things from Severus Snape, but to hide something from the person he trusted most, his family, was a totally impossible thing to think about. Harry looked down at his hands. What should he do? He heard a soft movement to his right. Draco must have come from under his bed. Harry looked up. The headmaster's eyes were narrowed. Yes, Draco must have most definitely have come out of his hideout. And he was sure the moment he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and a soft whisper in his ear.

"Don't tell them…" the Slytherin insisted.

"Like I have a choice…" he muttered under his breath.

"Harry…" Sirius caught his attention. "Please tell us, we just want to help you and maybe others."

"Think about all the lives you could save by giving us the information," added Remus. "It's important to us, not only you."

"Why won't you tell us, Harry?" asked Minerva, her usual strong manner being displaced by a look of motherly concern.

Harry watched them biting his lower lip. And not for the first time he wondered how his life had become so complicated?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"And you are sure, Herm?" Ron asked in a low voice.

"Yes, I saw him and Snuffles walking with Professor McGonagall into the headmaster's office," she said closing the entrance door of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"You think they are going to see Harry?" he asked curiously.

"Probably… Highly probable, I'd say."

Ron sighed. "By the way, where was Malfoy during Charms?"

Hermione shrugged. "Who knows, he's been missing since Transfiguration."

"Maybe he lost his fighting spirit with Harry gone," Ron laughed.

Hermione stopped in midway. "Don't joke about that! It sounds worse than you'd think!"

Ron apologized and they continued their way down the corridor.

Fred glanced at his twin as he stepped from behind a statue. "Did you hear that?" 

George nodded. "Maybe he stayed with Harry?" 

"I don't know… I have a bad feeling, we should go check." Said his brother thoughtfully.

George stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Wait, why worry? Remember I put a spell? So even if he were still there, he'd have time to annul it and get out.

"Are you sure?" Fred asked, the alarm in his head was getting worse.

"Well, not a 100%, but…"

Fred freed himself of his brother's grip. "Then you wouldn't mind checking, would you?"

George's eyes widened slowly. "Wait… Do you _really_ want to go?"

Fred nodded.

His twin caught on Fred's words. "Oh Merlin! The spell wore off!"

Both ran out of the Gryffindor Tower heading to the nearest corridor that would lead them to the secret passageway to the infirmary. George led the way, muttering passwords at the statues and paintings to clear their way until they came out next to Madam Pomfrey's office. Fred took a peek inside seeing the older woman busy arranging potions into shelves. He nodded for his brother to follow and with a silent spurt they ran towards Harry's compartment. Fred let himself glide the last meters as he tried to stop and George almost bumped into him following suit.

"Harry, Draco! The Professors are coming!" George said alarmed.

"They are heading this way with your godfather an-" Fred froze in mid-sentence as he starred at Professor Snape's face.

Harry hit his forehead with his flat palm cursing annoyed under his breath.

"Uhh… I guess they are already here," George said matter-of-factly.

Fred smiled nervously as he pushed his brother to leave. "Never mind us, we're leaving."

"Weasleys!" McGonagall stood up from her seat putting her hands on her hips.  "May I ask what you're doing here?!" she said with a stern look on her face.

"Us?" George looked at his brother for aid.

Fred gazed innocently at them. "Nothing… We're just leaving."

"Weasleys!" Now there was something in Snape's voice that made it clear that one shouldn't simply push him over his limit.

The twins sighed in defeat. "Yes, sir…"

"Explain yourselves!" Snape was definitely better at getting information than McGonagall. He was sometimes freaking intimidating when he glared.

The two red haired boys looked nervously at each other. What should they say? On one hand there was the truth and it came accompanied with Draco glaring from under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. And then the there was a lie they could come up with, that would of course come with a handful of adults who, if ever found out about the lie, would most likely be in a very fool mood.

Harry could see the internal debate the twins were having, and he could guess why. Draco was grabbing onto his shoulder so hard that it hurt, but he couldn't say word about it. So instead he put his hand on his friends to loosen the grip. Draco seemed to understand because he heard a whispered apology.

/ What should we do? / Fred asked his brother after opening a mind link.

\ Have you seen Snape's face? Don't even think about making something up! \

/ Easy to say, that just leaves the truth! / Fred snapped. 

\ Hey! Either Snape or Draco, which one could be worse? \ George's voice echoed in Fred's head.

/ Between those two, probably Draco, but right now there's McGonagall, Dumbledore, Remus Lupin _and_ Sirius Black to consider as well!! / There was a high-pitched tone in his voice that told George Fred was about to go into hysterics. 

\ … Okay, the truth then? \ George wondered.

/ I guess… /

Their Conversation was interrupted by Harry's voice. The twin's heads snapped towards him. Also everybody else's attention focused on the boy in the bed.

/ George? / Fred glanced at his twin. /Did he just… /

\ I believe so…\ stuttered his brother unsurely.

"What did you say?"  Fred finally asked.

Harry sighed, but the hand on his shoulder urged him to repeat himself. So he looked at his friends with an angry expression on his face, just the way Draco wanted him to. He opened his mouth repeating the sounds he had given earlier. The teacher's blinked confused and so did his godfather, only the twins narrowed their eyes, their whole body language changing from defense to attack.

"What?" Sirius stared at his godson perplexed, but Harry ignored him, eyes fixed on the twins.

George took a step forward and snapped something back, the words as incomprehensible as Harry's had been. The dark haired boy closed his eyes like listening to something before replying once more in sounds more than words. This time Fred grabbed his brother's arm before he could start again. Fred glanced passed Harry at Draco still under the cloak.

"You wouldn't dare!" he said seriously, but he could see in Draco's expression that he would dare anything. Fred cursed under his breath and looked away, he couldn't further this discussion and he told George so. "Leave it!"

"But-"

"I said: Leave it!!"

George face turned angry, but he understood, if Draco brought Tom into this whole mess it wouldn't end well. And Tom would come if Harry's position were threatened in any way. As much as he wanted to deny it, the Slytherin was right. Tom would come if the truth came out.

Harry watched all this nervously. Even if he had said Draco's words for him, he still had not understood everything, nor was he very sure if he had acted correctly. Clear was only that Tom couldn't be bothered with this matter. He lowered his gaze to his hands; somehow this was entirely his fault. Suddenly he was overcome by a wave of sickness, his stomach wanted to turn upside-down. His body began to tremble and he leaned over the bedside coughing blood again and again. He could barely feel Draco steadying him as Sirius grabbed alarmed for his shoulder. Then there was a sudden amount of uncontrollable pain in his head, his scar burning like fire as tears rolled down his cheeks. Voices were talking to him, so many voices he knew. Draco's presence was gone before he could stop it. He was left alone. Where were they? Where was Tom?


	8. Chapter 7

AN:

Thanks to Lexi and Anna for correcting my mistakes and all those who reviewed. I know the plot is complex, but I try to explain little by little.

Enjoy^^ …

Chapter 7 

Sirius looked confused from his godson to the twins. He didn't understand any of what was going on, but apparently not only the Malfoy brat was involved, as Albus had said, but also these two and maybe even more. Maybe even Harry's friends knew; Dumbledore hadn't mentioned anything about them. Besides, what kind of communication were they having?

As it finally seemed that whatever argument they had was settled, his godson started to bend over coughing blood. It was a wonder he had not fallen out of the bed. Sirius had barely gotten hold of one of his shoulders and held him back. In a matter of seconds Minerva and Remus were at his side to help him. Harry kept thrashing around violently, his eyes wide in shock and it seemed as if he were looking for help and couldn't see any. He heard Dumbledore's' voice calling for Poppy. And a few moments later she was there.

"We have to hold him down!" she said to Remus who was holding Harry's legs in place.

Sirius watched, shocked as blood poured out of the boy's mouth again. Minerva forced Harry to the side so he wouldn't choke on it. Madam Pomfrey's face was pale; Sirius didn't like that, because it could only mean that there was little she could do. 

"Why don't you give him something?" he asked, distressed, Sirius couldn't watch this much longer.

"I can't! He might…" she took a deep breath. "His body might react to it wrongly. I might do more harm than good. And I don't dare to use magic, he's not strong enough."

Harry screamed in pain, his voice high-pitched as though he was being killed with a knife in the most painful way possible. Fred stared at his brother then at Draco. They had to decide their next move: Their friend's well being and their secrets coming into the light or do nothing. Could they risk it?

Again the boy screamed, but this time he called for someone. The name became incomprehensible due the cry, and that was all the twins needed deciding what to do.

"Get out of the way!" George pushed Remus aside and taking over his position, while his brother passed the Potion Master and motioned with a determined look in his eyes that Madam Pomfrey and Sirius had better step away from Harry. 

"Let us take over, you have no idea how to handle this!" Fred said, taking a piece of wood out of his pocket, as Harry seemed to calm down again and put it in the boy's mouth. "Com'on, bite down, buddy." Immediately the boy reacted to the command. And just in time before he started to thrash around more than earlier.

Suddenly Minerva was pushed away, barely managing to stay on her feet. Draco flung the Invisibility cloak to the corner, shedding with it his own secrecy and laid his hand on Harry's forehead steadying the boy and trying to calm him while with his other hand he held him pinned down to the bed by his shoulder.

"Fred!" Draco hissed.           

"I know." Answered the Gryffindor. "George?" he glanced quickly at his brother who nodded.

The Slytherin closed his eyes and started to chant a spell, first alone, then Fred joined in and last his twin. The chant went on and on until a light started to form around their hands, a warm and calming brightness, which spread with every new word over Harry's body. The boy's face started to become less tense, his body relaxing until only his breathing came a little agitated.

Still the three continued their spell.

The others watched the scene before them in amazement. Minerva moved towards Albus to ask what was going on, but by the look on everybody's face, she was not the only one who didn't understand what was going on. So she remained quiet, witnessing the strange event.

The first to stop was George, slowly he lifted his hands from the boy, the brightness vanishing with the contact. Next followed Fred until Draco was the only one who still was connected to Harry, and then he too let go. Slowly for he didn't want to disturb the calmness they had forced upon the boy. Harry's breathing returned to normal, and Draco reached for the piece of wood and threw it aside on the ground, sighing relived.

"That wasn't a normal seizure." George stated as he whipped the sweat from his forehead.

Fred nodded as he leaned exhausted on his hands on the bed.

"Did you feel the energy flow?" asked Draco as he tried to move but his legs gave away under him falling to the cold ground where he remained breathing exhausted.

George rolled his eyes. "I call that timing," he said annoyed.

"Timing and stupidity! He knows Harry's sick!" added Fred looking at Harry's calm and sleeping face.

"Stupidity is the right word!" Draco leaned his head against the bed. "Stupidity, idiocy, and all those other words…" Without looking up he reached for Harry's wrist and checked on the pulse; the adults watched, unsure whether to move or wait for an explanation. "I'll kill him and then I think of a good reason…"

George sat down on the ground feeling sleep invade his mind. "I'll help…"

"Ah…" Fred joined his brother closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Draco looked at the twins laying on the cold floor and smiled. Succumb to the darkness that was what he needed. He closed his eyes, his mind drifting slowly away as suddenly he was grabbed by his uniform and lifted into the air.

"What did you do to my godson?!!"

Draco tried to focus his eyes, but his body ached for rest. He murmured a reply hoping to be left alone. But he was shaken awake again and Draco narrowed his eyes in anger. "I helped him, okay?" he snapped wanting only to sleep.

"Sirius! Let him down!" Remus loosened his friend's hold on the boy and steadied him.

"Either I helped him or not!" Draco growled in a furious tone. "You have to let me rest, I promise I'll explain later." His eyes fell shut as his energy started to change and awake his true power. "For everyone's sake, including your well-being, I need to let my body recover the energy it lost!!" He was in no condition to explain further, whatever would happen, he had done his part in warning them. Leaning exhausted onto Remus he finally let sleep overtake him.

Remus picked the boy up in his arms and carried him to one of the beds nearby while Minerva and Albus followed him with the twins floating in the air. The three returned to Harry's bed. Madam Pomfrey had taken the time to check on Harry and at seeing that everything was well, decided to examine the other three boys as well.

"Albus, what was that just now?" Minerva spooled out the question that was in all their heads. "What did those three do?"

The headmaster shook his head. "I don't really know. I believe it is an ancient magic as it was used before the early Dark Ages. " He at down on his chair his eyes thoughtfully fixed on the boy on the bed. "I read in a very old document oces that back then, when people were still unable to use magic in forms of spell as we do nowadays; they used their own life energy to perform their needs.

"Are you saying they used their life energy on Harry?!" Sirius couldn't believe it.

"I'm not entirely sure, but that might very well be the case," answered the headmaster. "It just brings up a much more interesting question up. How would they have known what to do?"

Snape, who until now had kept quietly in the background, walked forward towards the bed, his eyes had seen something the other's completely ignored. "No, that wasn't life energy. " Said the Potion Master slowly trying to recall where he had seen this before. "By the way they collapsed I'd say they used their bodies' energy."

Sirius glared at him, somehow he knew Snape was right, and he didn't like the idea at all.

"Severus, have you seen this before?" Remus asked.

"I…" images… no… sounds formed in his head. It was something he had forgotten, something he had suppressed; something he didn't really want to remember. "I…" Voices so familiar yet he was sure he didn't know them… or was it that he was ignoring the truth. He closed his eyes, if he reached out to that memory maybe…

"Severus?" Remus laid a hand on the Potion Master's shoulder concerned. The Professor wasn't usually at loss of words. "Are you all right?"

"I think I've seen this before." He said finally.

Dumbledore's eyes darkened. "Where?"

"I don't know…" he passed a hand though his hair. "I don't remember." The feeling of loss was grwoing in his chest. It was causing his body to alarm, something he usually had under control.

_"Are you sure?"_

_"No, but do you have a better idea?"_

_"Tom is right James, you shouldn't do it!"_

_"Listen Drake, if he dies, what then? He's my friend!"_

"Severus?"

Snape starred puzzled at Lupin's confused eyes.

"Severus, are you all right?" the werewolf asked again.

"James was there…"

"What?" Sirius gaped at him.

"Severus, what do you mean?" asked the headmaster, his voice calm yet with a hint of worry.

Snape looked lost. What had that conversation meant? Was it real? Yes, one of the voices was that of James Potter, he had heard it far to often to forget it. And the other voices, he was sure now, he had heard them before as well. The man's and the woman's or maybe a girl's…

"There are pieces connected to this…" he turned his eyes too Harry. "There were others too… Another man and a woman…" should he continue trying to awake that last thought?

_"James, that's nuts! You know that as well as we do!"_

_"Damn it, Tom! Severus is my friend! Either you help me or I'll do it alone!"_

_"… No, I won't help."_

_"Fine, your choice anyway!"_

_"James! Wait! James!!… __Tom, do something!"_

_"What can I do? He likes him. He sees potential in that boy…"_

_"So you will not aid him? It's dangerous to perform the ritual alone…"_

_"I know, but it is his choice… I'll be here if he needs me."_

_"I'm back, step aside you two…"_

Yes, then there was the warm call, the strength that had passed trough every part of his body. A union he had longed for. It was far more that when you loved. They had become one, even if it had been for just a matter of minutes, they had shared their souls with each other. It had been a brightness that made him realize how much he longed for someone to care for him. Yes, he had forced that memory into oblivion, hating the fact that it had been James who had seen his true self, his weakness, his longings, and his soul… And then again he couldn't hate him, because James had allowed him the same. He had let Severus reach into his soul and embrace the warmth, the strength, his other self, his fears and his secrets. He hated him for that, because James had saved him and taken away his choice to loath him. That was the true reason for his feelings of anger towards James Potter. 

Severus head snapped up. James' secret? He had seen into the other and there had been something that somehow had seem… not wrong…but… not right either… there had been something incomprehensible in his aura… something not… not like his own…

He bit down on his thumb, a habit he had gotten rid of, but it was still easy to fall back into it…

_"I can't believe he's doing this!"_

_"Why? Because he's not like us?"_

_"Yes, because he's mortal…"_

_"James has his own way of doing things, Drake."_

_"I know, Tom! I know!!"_

"He performed this… ritual by himself to save me, even when the others were against it…" he finally said out loud unaware of it.

"Severus, could you explain this a little further?" Minerva raised an eyebrow at him.

Snape shook his head lightly noticing that he had spoken his thoughts. "I was sick… just like Potter…" Yes, that was the truth, although he didn't know how. "And James did the same that Mr. Malfoy and the Weasley, only he did it by himself…" he looked at the others. "There was that other man… Tom and a woman… they called her Drake… These two told him not to do it, but James insisted…"

Sirius gulped down a comment.

"I can't explain it very well, if it is exactly the same as they did, but the way the energy flow looked and felt… I guess it must have been similar." Severus thoughts were confused. Questioned after questioned seemed to pop up in his mind and there were no answers to them. It was disturbing.

"You can see the energy flow?" Remus asked puzzled.

"You can't?" 

"Not really, I have other means of doing so, thanks to my werewolf DNA," explained Lupin. "How come you can? As far as I know normal humans aren't able to do so."

The Potion Master stared at him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm not saying anything, Severus, I'm just pointing out some facts out."

"Moony, are you suggesting he's not human?" Sirius asked unsure. "That sounds stupid even to me. As much as I have always said that he's a slimy snake, I still know he's as much man as I am."

"Thanks Black, " snorted Snape, the last thing he needed was Sirius defending him.

Dumbledore got up from his seat and stepped closer to them. "Severus, since when have you've been able to see energy?"

"I don't know, as long as I can remember…" He narrowed his eyes. "I thought it normal."

"Children that have certain abilities don't realize they are special until the difference is pointed out." Minerva said.

Snape stepped back crossing his arms, his body language turning into defense. "What are you getting at?!"

Suddenly there was a sound of glass breaking and blackness filling the room. The next think they knew was as they started to pick themselves up from the ground and all they could see was their bodies.

"What happened?" Minerva asked as she pushed back a bang that fell into her face.

"Seems as though we are no longer at Hogwarts…" the headmaster stated slowly. 

"Where's Harry?" Sirius jumped alarm to his feet.

Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "We are the only ones here, I think."

"Not really, Professor." Said a voice coming closer.

"George?" another voice called.

"I'm here Fred!" called the first one coming closer until he became visible to them. Shortly after his brother joined them.

"What is this?" Albus turned to them for answers.

Fred put his hands in his pocket and shrugged. "A Dream Catch, I'd say…"

"And since Draco and Harry aren't here, I bet it's one of theirs." Added his brother.

"A Dream Catch?" Minerva asked quizzing.

"Yes." Fred said. "It is an unusual ability, if I may say…"

"Very rare!" George added. "It's a summoning spell in which people around the caster are sucked into a Dream World and imprisoned."

"Why would Mr. Malfoy or Mr. Potter do something like that?" Minerva wondered.

"Wouldn't it be more interesting to hear how it was done?" Snape growled. He seemed to have returned to his usual state.

"Both good questions." Fred sat down on the ground pulling one leg up to put his arm around and rested his head thoughtfully on it. "With the knowledge I have, I believe this must be Draco's, Harry has never shown signs to be able to do anything like this."

"No, Fred, why would he trap us here too?" George shook his head. "He surely fell into a resting sleep as we did." He passed a hand trough his hair looking own at is brother. "No, this can't be Draco's…"

"Harry's? I don't think so…" he bit on his thumb. "What if Draco did this unconsciously?"

"How? Why?" George turned to the others slowly. "If he fell asleep immediately after the ritual asleep his mind should be in a frozen state until his body recovers fully."

Fred did not reply, he knew what his brother was suggesting.

"… I…" Sirius started. "I didn't let him fall asleep…" his words were barely hearable. "I wanted to know about Harry…"

The twins sighed in unison. "Draco indeed then."

"You know now how we got here. How do we get out?" Snape said impatiently.

"Get out? Are you kidding me?" Fred raised his head smiling ironically. "If our powers were greater than those of the Head of the Council then we could get out of here. But otherwise I don't dare to use spells in here." his features darkened. "They might return to us or kill the caster of the dimension. Meaning, we would be stuck here forever!" he shook his head. "We can just wait in hope his mind returns into a resting form and lets him return us to the real world."

George put his hands behind his head. "Besides, you should be grateful we didn't get stuck into some Hell dimension or trapped in our own greatest fears. At least we're still together…"

"Well, you two, since it seems that were are going to be hanging around here for some time, you might as well answer a few questions to pass the time. "Remus smirked.

The twins sighed in defense and it seemed as though they were having another internal debate. Finally George sat down next to his brother. "Fine, what do you want to know?" he sounded rather annoyed.

"What d-" but before Professor McGonagall could ask anything Sirius interrupted her

"Before anything, I want to know how my godson got sick in the first place!"

Fred looked at George who nodded for him to go ahead. "He got it like most people get sick. He got infected while taking care of someone who had already been sick with it." He shrugged. "We had completely forgotten that his mother came from the non-magical line."

"There was someone else sick?" Dumbledore asked, concern in his voice.

The twins nodded with a look that said they were not willing to get further into that matter.

"Okay, now, we know how he got it. How come you and Mr. Malfoy are involved?" Minerva said as she sat down on the ground as well.

"_That_ is a very long story…" George said slowly.

"We have time." Snape snapped.

George mutter under his breath but finally gave in. "Draco is helping Harry because of a promise and Fred was sent to take a look at the last Yorae for the clan elders. I for my part am here by pure coincidence.

"Yorae?" Remus had heard that word before, but before he got to figure it out Harry appeared next to Minerva looking rather tired.

"Harry!" they all called out.

"Hey!" he smiled. "Good to see you are finally awake. " He turned to the twins. "And I see you found the others…"

"What are you doing here?" Fred jumped to his feet in a matter of seconds.

"How did you find us?!" George mimicked his brother.

Harry shrugged. "I was here to begin with, but everyone else was unconscious. So I though I'd take a look and figure out where I am."

"You snuck out of a Dream Catch?" Fred couldn't believe it.

"Dream Catch?" Harry turned his head slightly to the side. Snape narrowed his eyes; he had seen that move before, but where? "This is no Dream Catch. This is an ability of Draco's clan. It works like a secret keep as far as I know."

George cursed. "Great! That is even worse!!"

Sirius walked over to Harry and pulled him into an embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Harry smiled lovingly at him.

"Wait! What's up now?" Remus glared from Harry to the twins. "Where did Harry come from?!"

Harry pushed Sirius away a little and raised his arms trying to calm Remus. "Professor, please." He spoke calmly. "I swear I will explain everything later, but right now there is another important matter I have to discuss with the twins first. That can't wait!"

Fred and George looked curiously at him as Harry stepped closer to them. They had a whispered word exchange for a while. George's face paled and Fred looked as though he wasn't feeling very well. Finally the two red-haired nodded.

"Okay, then…" Fred passed a hand trough his hair as they turned back to the others. "We have to divide the group. Four go with us and Harry takes the remaining one with him. Now listen up, Harry has just explained to us that we can't stay here if we intend to ever get out again. It would take too long to explain it clearly right now, so all I'm going to say is that were are stuck in Draco's memories and if he wakes up before we are out he won't remember that he has to take us out since he did this unconsciously in the first place. So, each of us is going to take two of you and share an aura protection so that we can leave this place. " He looked at his brother.

The red haired raised his hand and stretched his fingers as faraway from the other as possible. "Hmm…I'll take Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. Okay?"

Fred and Harry mimicked his action.

"I think I can take Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, if you can take Professor Snape, Harry."

"I guess." He said not very convinced. He did not really want to go anywhere near the Potion Master. He still couldn't remember what had happened in the dungeon classroom and he feared to be discovered the moment he would touch the other. But under the current circumstance there was no choice but to come close to the man. Harry could see, when he concentrated, the man's energy coming in confused and yet controlled calm waves around him. Maybe with some luck everything would be over quickly…

"Then it's decided. Professor McGonagall and you Mr. Black, would you mind taking your Animagus forms?" asked George.

Sirius blinked surprised that the twins knew, but proceeded to do as asked. Minerva followed suit. Fred, in the mean time, had laid his hand on the ground and a somewhat larger white circular space had formed there. 

"Fred, you and Professor Lupin and Mr. Black go first." Said his brother.

Fred nodded Remus to pick Sirius in his arm and then together they jumped into the brightness. George indicated the headmaster to do the same.

"Harry, count to three, that should do it…" he added before the three of them disappeared as well.

Harry didn't dare to look at Snape. He had the feeling of something stuck at the back of his throat, his hand becoming sweaty. He could practically feel his own energy trembling with anxiety to touch and fear of rejection. Why? Why was this happening? What should he do now? Jump into the brightness?


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Harry watched, lost in thought as the exit closed a little bit more for every second he spent not paying attention. 

"Mr. Potter, do you intend for us to stay behind or are we going to follow the others?"

Harry turned his head in surprise to see Professor Snape standing behind him. "Uh…" He tried to look for the right words. "We'll go with them of course?" He stepped closer to his teacher and motioned him to stand at the border. Why were his hands sweating? He shook his head lightly, trying to free his mind from whatever was making it difficult to concentrate. Maybe it was the thought that he had to touch… Why would that make a difference? He muttered something under his breath and stood behind Snape raising his arms to put around the man's waist. The Professor seemed about to make a comment, but Harry pushed him forward and they fell.

If there was something Snape hated, it was surprises. And he hated them even more when he couldn't do anything to stop them and actually had to have faith in someone to save him from it. And the fact that it was Potter made it even worse. He could feel the youthful body pressed against him, the arms holding him around the waist as they fell through the empty light. It panicked him that they were not slowing down but actually getting faster. He heard a small cry behind him. He tried to look back, but all he saw was Harry's tense face next to him, carefully watching their way ahead. Then he suddenly noticed that their fall had slowed down drastically. He no longer felt the pressure of the atmosphere against him. He narrowed his eyes; he would ask about it later.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Fred watched his brother land cautiously with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, red wings disappearing quickly from view. He dropped neatly, which was a far more elegant landing than his; he had slid on the ground until he finally was able to stop and had almost squashed Lupin and Sirius. He looked up to the entrance. Harry should be coming now with Snape. 

George walked over to him. "You think he managed?"

"I don't know, I'm a little worried, I don't know how far Draco got with flying lessons…" answered his brother.

George smiled nervously. "We'll see…"

And a few minutes later Snape and Harry fell in. The young boy let go of his teacher immediately as he felt the safety of the new dimension and rolled to the side. The twins were at his side at once.

"Harry, are you alright?" George asked.

The boy nodded slowly and Fred helped him to his feet. "I'm okay. What about Professor Snape?"

"He's alright." George nodded to Lupin helping him up while Snuffles growled, annoyed.

Harry sighed, relieved; he hadn't thought he would manage it this far. "Let's continue."

Fred nodded in agreement. "Fine, but from here on we got to be cautious, this is Draco's memory we're in, we should go on ahead by foot." He scratched his nose with his finger. "Harry, can you make something like an aura bubble?"

Harry looked lost.

"I guess not then…"Fred took a deep breath. "Try to expand your aura over Snape while we go on. I don't think it would be wise for any of them to go without real protection from us." He turned to his brother. "What do you think?"

"You're right."

"Wait, how do I do this aura expansion thing?" Harry asked concerned. "Draco has only taught me a few spells, but nothing like that."

The twins sighed. "Look, to make it easy, just hold him by the hand or so and then pass your energy on to him the whole time," said Fred.

"You two will have to share your strength to get out of here," added George as he walked back to his group and created an aura bubble. "I can't risk you trying out if you can do it or not, so you'll do it the simple way."

Fred suppressed a smile at Harry's face as he returned to Lupin's side. "Let's go."

_If there was a time to pout, this is it, and I will do it for the rest of the trip_, Harry decided as he grabbed Snape's hand angrily and dragged him after him. And if Snape wanted to protest then he should go right ahead, so Harry would have a good reason to actually let go and leave him right there were he was. Not that he would actually do it, but the thought wasn't bad and it was definitely keeping those stupid hormones in their place.

Fred lead the way. He took in his surroundings carefully, he could feel that although they were walking through a rather secure road passing through the Slytherin's memory, that danger could not be outrun very long.

"I have a bad feeling…" he murmured.

"Should I worry?" 

Fred glanced at Lupin; he hadn't realized he had said those words out loud. He smiled tensely. "Not yet, we might actually make it out unharmed…"

A little farther behind, Snape wasn't very pleased with this whole situation. "Potter, would you explain, why you're dragging me by the hand?"  

Harry stopped and looked at him annoyed. "Look, Professor, I hate this as much as you do, but if you prefer to try if you can manage with out protection, be my guest. " He loosened his hand a little. "Otherwise we don't have a choice."

"I don't see the other's holding hands,." Snape said, tightening his hand around the boys', not really sure if that was the right thing to do.

Harry smiled sarcastically. An unusual expression, Snape decided, or maybe it was the fact that he had never seen it on the boy before.

"I'm not as good at this as Fred and George are," he was not in the mood to argue. "Now why don't you go ahead and lecture me about how the Boy-Who-Lived finally had to see that there are people in the world better at something than him?!" Why was he saying such things? This wasn't Snape's fault. Harry looked away ashamed of himself. "Must be that stupid sickness getting back at me…" 

Severus Snape looked at the boy a little astonished. No, he was not the boy everyone had always seen anymore, he had grown into a man far earlier than anyone had expected. He had always tried to treat him harder than others to prepare him for the world. It seemed that no one else wanted to see that by protecting him or praising him, they were doing nothing more than harming him. That was not the real world; outside the walls of Hogwarts the world was cruel and cold and only the strong ones could survive. Snape had wanted to prepare him for that and it seemed that either he had done his job far too well or the boy had grown without anyone noticing. Or maybe it was that he didn't want the people to know his true self as his father had? He shock his head, James was not the issue right now, he was dead, as Snape had told him he would end up if he worked against Voldemort. No, right now his son was alive and he was visibly frustrated at something and there was also pain in his face… Pain? But before he had the chance to ask about it the ground suddenly swallowed them.

When Severus came back to consciousness, he was laying on the ground. Harry was kneeling next to him, his eyes fixed on some point ahead. Snape sat up and noticed that his hand was still in Harry's. He thanked whomever for this; he had no intention on getting stuck in one of his students' minds. He turned his head to see what Harry was starring at and as his eyes caught the figure he felt his heart stop beating in his chest.

"James…?!" He got slowly to his feet. "James?!" He couldn't believe this and apparently he wasn't the only one, Harry's hand was trembling in his.

There he stood, James Potter, in all his pride. His face had a smile that said that there was no opponent in the world who could defeat him. He had so much self-esteem that it made Snape sick. He had forgotten how much he had hated it, how much he had wanted to hit it out of Potter's face.

He tried to move closer to him, but Harry pulled him back. Snape looked at the boy confused, but he just shook his head. "This is not real…"

"What?" Severus eyes narrowed, irritated.

Harry got up, still shaking, whether this was due to his illness or the fact that his father was standing in front of him, he couldn't tell. 

"I…"

"James!" A voice called.

Snape and Harry spun around at the sound of someone coming closer. There in the entrance of a building stood Tom Riddle no older than seventeen, his face amused. Next to him stood a young woman with long blond hair. She smiled at them… at James…

"Hey!" James waved at them and walked to them. Someone appeared on his right and put an arm around the dark haired boy's shoulder. 

"Are you leaving without me?" Draco asked, making a hurt face.

James laughed and put his arm amiably around the other's shoulder. "When would I ever, Draco?" 

"With you one never knows," said Draco.

Harry blinked unsure, this Draco was much older than the one he knew. He looked even older than Tom…

"Hey, you two, are you going to marry over there, or what?" Tom called.

The girl laughed. And James and Draco grinned from ear to ear. 

"What, you got a problem with that?" Draco asked as he lowered his arm and pulled James closer with a mischievous grin.

James laughed. "Oh my Draco, not in front of people," he said in a girlish voice making an embarrassed face.

They both laughed and walked to the others. 

"You two are the worst!" said Tom, shaking his head and sighing.

Then the whole world started to blur around Harry and Snape and they were back with the others. 

"Harry, Professor!" Fred knelt next to them on the ground. "Are you two alright?"

Snape looked totally confused and so did Harry. The boy reached almost hysterically for the older Gryffindor's shirt and pulled at it with his hand.

"My father… Draco knew my father!!"

The others looked puzzled.

"Your father?" Lupin looked from Sirius' godson to Snape. "What is he talking about?"

George answered for Harry. "They were pulled into one of Draco's memories…" He turned worriedly to Harry. "You say you saw James?"

"Yes!" Harry's voice showed his emotional conflict.

"Are you sure it wasn't anyone else?" Fred tried to calm him.

"It was James!" Snape said annoyed and angry. "It was him!" He passed a hand trough his hair. "And there was Draco and a girl and also… Voldemort!"

Fred and George's face darkened. The others still looked rather confused.

"What are you saying?" McGonagall asked.

Harry pulled again at Fred's shirt. "Tell me you didn't know this!"

Fred reached with his hand to Harry's loosening its grip. "What are you angry at?" His voice that of an adult talking to a child. "Draco is much older than any of us, it is probable that they knew each other. Damn it, Harry, you know the position of the Head of the Council within the clans. "

He let go of the red haired boy and looked down at his hands. "I know…" he said quietly. "It's just…"

Fred laid a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I don't blame you. You were not prepared for this, nor did Draco ever tell you about it, and he probably has his reasons. You must learn to deal with this and confront it when the time comes." He paused. "And to be sincere this is not the right time, if you two got swallowed in a memory it means that Draco is waking up slowly. We must get out of here before that happens." He looked up to his twin. "What do you say?" 

George bit down on his thumb. "We've got to continue flying even if it's more dangerous. It's faster, we have no choice."

"Harry." He looked up to Fred. "Can you do it?"

He nodded slowly and got to his feet, pulling Snape up with him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Somewhere else the Dark Lord retreated into his private quarters. Or better said, his brother's old hideout. The rooms he had allowed Snape to enter. He passed a hand over the Gryffindor colors on the wall carpets. Remembering the time James used to stand here thinking, or meditating, when he wanted to be left alone.

Tom had come to the human world in order to protect his twin and at the end it had ended worse than he would have ever imagined. He had taken the life of the one he had wanted to keep alive more than anything else. He clenched his fist together as old frustration and despair rose in him. The darkness that he had guarded was taking slowly his mind and life... But he had to control it until Harry was ready to take his place as the real Head of Clan of the Visionary. He surely would have the ability to succeed where Tom had failed. Harry had what he had lacked from the start, he had the unity of his twin to absorb the darkness and return it to the world purified, he was the first Yorae born with both the powers of the Gods and Dragons after countless generations.

With James's death the darkness that collected itself in the core of the world and was absorbed by the God part of the Yorae, could no longer be returned to its origin. It gathered on and on in Tom's body giving him power, but also maddening him and pursuing him to do the darkness's biddings. There would come a time in which this darkness would completely consume him and obtain the knowledge and powers of the Gods to fight the human and the dragons. By then, it would become necessary for everyone's well being that Harry understood the complexity of their situation.

Tom had chosen this path by the time James had, for the first time, a vision about the human world. As being the other half of the Yorae Leader, it was Tom's duty to come to learn the mortal way of living and he had to admit, he had liked it. The simplicity of their existence was intriguing, they were like children, unaware of the real powers that circled and held the world. James's vision had just been the trigger to come into the world and let his body and power been reborn by a mortal woman. But something had gone wrong and Tom wondered if his brother had known deep inside that this would happen. 

Separated from his twin, Tom's body could not purify the world's energy on his own and it had been a hard way to return to his own sanity. He was forced to return to the Dragon's and he couldn't be separated for too long from James. No one knew why that was the case. Tom remembered clearly the pitied expression in his brother's blue eyes as he awoke for the first time back at the Grand Sanctuary of the Visionary. He never asked the reason for it, but it seemed that even back then James had already known how everything would develop. Most painful of all were the words he spoke to him before James broke off his relationship with Drake and descended to the human world years later.

"I forgive you, Tom, never blame yourself for my choices…" James had smiled tiredly; dark rings had been under his eyes for days. "The wheels are already turning, just promise me that you will protect the one who shall follow us…"

Back then; he had not understood the meaning of those words, now he knew his twin had referred to the incident at Godric's Hollow…

He shook his head and settled at the couch Harry like to sit and read. Nagini slithered over to him and curled up next to him eyeing him curiously.

" ~What isss wrong, massster?~" she hissed.

Tom sighed. "~I wasss remembering old timesss… Timesss when my brother wasss alive…~"

"~Massster Jamesss?~"

He nodded. "~Yesss…~"

She lifted her body so she could meet his eyes with her own. "~That iss not all that isss troubling you…~"

He rolled his eyes annoyed. "~Luciuss Malfoy… he wasss here earlier…. Quessstioning Jathy'ss faith on me…~"

The snake hissed viscously before exposing her long teeth in anger. "~I'll ssstrangle him!!~"

Tom chuckled, Nagini loved Harry and if giving the chance she would kill Malfoy. "~Do not worry, I already punissshed him.~"

"~Crucio?~"

Tom nodded as he leaned back closing his eyes. He hoped the spell had not caused any effect on Harry though their link.

"~What did Draco come for yessterday?~" she changed the subject, knowing they would both end up in a bad humor if they talked too much about Malfoy Senior.

Tom remained quiet, he hadn't told Nagini about Peeves and the incident between Snape and Harry. He had promised to keep it secret for as long as possible. As long as Draco's plans were not in danger of failure due this incident, there would be no need to let others know.

"~Nothing important…~" He finally answered letting his thought drift back to his brother and the past

***Flashback***

Tom watched James carefully as the young man slept in the chair of his workshop. It wasn't that he disliked James; no, he actually held him to be one of his dearest friends and best brother, but he was no fool. He could see the dark secrets he held. Secrets that sooner or later he would be unable to stop from being known. 

Tom shook his head. None of this made any sense to him. James wanted to be part of the human world, but he was the last of his kind, he couldn't simply allow such thing to happen. He knew the hardships of the magical world, as those mere humans thought to control the world. He could still remember Hogwarts, a school for young people with magical abilities to train and prepare for real life. 

He smiled slightly as he continued brewing the truth potion. 

Hogwarts held many memories for him. He had been a Slytherin, which was expected since his great-grandfather had been one of the founders of that school. Although, Tom had to admit he had no clue what-so-ever as to why James or other dragons seemed to be attracted to that world.

As much as there were moments he had enjoyed, there were more he'd rather not recall. In other words, he had not enjoyed very much his stay; those filthy student treating him like a mortal, the disrespect and ignorance was just repulsing. He had tried to live up to their expectations and even mastered many of the subjects as best student, but there was no pleasure in it. Any dragon could tell you that the human soul craves greatness but that of the dragons simply is waiting to live on.

Which might be the reason Dumbledore had thought that he might go down the wrong path. He chuckled. There was simply no reason for Tom to, he was the heir to the leader of his clan, if anything should happen to James, why would he want to bring any danger to those mortals? As if he wouldn't have anything better to do.

Why would James want to go anyway?

He paused to look at the sleeping dragon.

James must have his reasons, as a Yorae he could see the future. But he would not tell Tom anything and it was disturbing. He hated to think about everyone and everything. He was no strategist as Drake was, nor was he any good when it came down to analyzing people, at least not like James and Draco. He was simply good at magic, good at things he liked. Potions for example… that was certainly one of the only intriguing things he had learned at Hogwarts, which he certainly was grateful to have been taught. Not like Quidditch. As any dragon he was good in the air, he could sense the winds movement and intensions around him, which is why when it came to flying they were experts. But he was a half dragon-god not a human, and he liked to spread his own wings, and let himself be carried by the waves. 

He smiled unconsciously, his attention once more directed at his potion.

"You do think too much."

Tom looked up surprised and saw James standing next to him, yawning. "What do you mean?" He hadn't noticed the other's approach.

"You had that face again." James chuckled. "The one that says: Don't dare to distract me I'm trying to figure out the meaning of the world."

"Well if you knew that then you might as well have continued sleeping." Tom hated it when James knew what was in his mind.

"You're still angry because I'm going?" his twin laid a hand on his shoulder.

"James, I can't stop the feeling that this is wrong. You shouldn't go. You're the last Yorae!" He hit the table with clenched fist and James barely caught a stable of books from falling on the floor. "What about Drake? I thought you two were happy! I don't see why you would want to go!!"

"Tom-"

"James!"

***End Flashback***

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was starting to feel tiered from sharing his already low energy with the Potion Master. His legs felt like jelly, he was just thankful that they didn't have to walk. Although, flying with invisible wings and caring Severus Snape was not exactly a field trip either. He was falling behind Fred and George little by little and the illness was starting to slowly make itself known to him again. His breathing was starting to come in short gasps and his fever was returning as well. Sometimes even his vision would blur for a moment.

A short while back, Fred had announced that they must reach Draco's consciousness, before his mentor awoke or they would end, trapped in his subconscious. Once there it would be easier to get out and the level of danger would lower since Draco might notice their presence in his mind and kick them out on his own.

Harry wasn't sure how Fred knew this, but then again, Harry knew very little of the ways of the Dragons compared to the twins.

"Potter, you're slowing down." Snape turned his head to him. "You look like you need some rest." He sounded concerned.

"We can't make a stop, it's too risky…" he answered, his back was hurting painfully, more than before.

"I don't want you to let us drop down, let alone perish in a Malfoy's mind."

Harry sighed, for a moment he had though Snape was truly concerned for his well-being. Of course, the man was just thinking of himself!

Suddenly the path lightened up blinding them all. Harry lost balance and was barely able to remain in the air. Then as quickly as the light had come it vanished. Instead of that they found themselves in a large building in ruins . The seemingly ancient stonewall were covered with green plants and grass and trees had grown here and there. Further ahead, Harry noticed Fred and George descending to the ground. He followed suit, relived, but his legs gave away under him and Snape had to catch him in his arms. Harry blushed as he held on to the older man. His hormones were raging wildly through his body, as dark eyes fixed on his. Trying to take a step away from the professor he tumbled weakly against a tree. A hand remained closed around his keeping the needed contact.

Severus watched the boy move, almost fainting away on him. Potter's energy was waving like a stormy ocean out of him and towards Severus synchronizing as it calmed down again. The boy's face was flushed and he seemed to be in fever. Of course, he was still sick yet he kept on sharing his energy with him. Why?

Not knowing exactly what he was doing, Severus took a step closer to the boy and picked him into his arms. Harry gave a startled little yelp as he starred shocked up to him.

"You're in no state to walk," he simply answered before proceeding to walk to the others who were checking out their surroundings. 

Black growled at him as he sighted them but Remus amiably slapped him on the back of his head and quieted him. "This is not the time, Siri!"

The dog made a hurt sound snuggling up to his friend. Remus and Severus rolled their eyes.

"Where are we?" Dumbledore asked.

George passed thoughtfully a hand through his hair. "I think we just made our way out of Draco's subconscious… Meaning the exit must be somewhere here."

"Then let's start searching." The headmaster suggested.

Fred looked at Harry in Snape's arms. "You alright, buddy?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm tired… and I don't feel well…"

"Maybe it would be better if you remain here and get some rest, while we look around." George said looking at the Potion Master who nodded before kneeling down and settling Harry against a wall and sat down next to him.

Sirius wanted to protest but Remus and the others dragged him along away.

Harry closed his eyes trying to calm his heartbeat and to force by pure will the fever to leave him be. Severus watched the boy's face; lips partly open breathing heavily and his hair looked rather messy and wild. He was sweaty.  He tentatively reached out unaware that he was doing so and pushed some bangs back behind the ear and froze. They were long and pointy.


	10. Chapter 9

AN :

Thanks to Lexi and Anna for being my betas and all your wonderful reviews. ^^ 

Chapter 9 

The six travelers stopped at the base of white marbled stairs reaching up almost endlessly. George sighed, annoyed.

"You don't think we have to actually walk up there?" Fred asked, his face mimicking his brother's feelings.

"Well, I don't know about you, but we didn't find anything," his brother said as he looked at Remus and Sirius who just shook their heads, confirming George's suspicion.

Professor McGonagall, who had returned to her human form, spoke up: "Then we should probably go back and get Severus and Harry."

Fred sighed. "I think we should make sure first we are correct because I doubt highly that Harry or Snape will be pleased if we make them walk up there and it turns out to be a dead end."

"I think he's right, Minerva," Remus said as Sirius transformed back as well. "Let Harry rest a while longer."

"We don't know in what danger we are here, it's still not entirely safe," she argued.

Sirius raised his hand catching the other's attention with this. "Look, as much as I hate to leave Harry in Snape's care, I think that what Fred is saying is a better idea. Besides, I don't think we should split the group more." Remus smiled proudly at him. It wasn't that Sirius was irrational when it came to Snape, it simply was that they both seemed to enjoy being at each other's throats for so long that it had already turned into a bad habit.

She sighed in defeat. "Fine. Then let's go." She transformed back and jumped on George's shoulder as Remus patted Snuffles' head before making their way up.

The stairs seemed never to end and Sirius was already wondering whether he had not chosen wrongly as the end finally became visible.

"Dear Merlin! Finally!" Remus exclaimed exhausted.

Dumbledore nodded, the old wizard was just as tired, and George and Minerva, who had to transform halfway back, had to support him.

They stepped out of a hole into a larger clearing at a lake. There was a soft rushing of the breeze coming through the trees. Further ahead on the lake was a small footbridge leading to a small island. And there, resting against one another, were two huge dragons. Their skin glittered light blue in the sun as their bodies moved gently with each breath.

"I think we're correct here…" Fred said his body tensing. He had not expected to meet two dragons.

"Are those what they look like?!" Minerva exclaimed alarmed. 

George chuckled. "What did you expect Professor? A door with a blinking Exit sign on top?" 

"Dragons?" Dumbledore spoke before Minerva could comment to the Weasley twin. "Why would there be dragons?"

Fred sighed as he walked forward; Remus and Snuffles following close by. "You still haven't understood, have you?" He turned his head slightly to them, his eyes turning slit pupil, as his ears grew longer and red feathery wings expanded on his back. "Let's go and wake sleeping beauty," he nodded towards the island.

They others stared unbelievable at him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Green eyes stared shocked into obsidian. Harry watched with rising horror as the hand retreated from his face and the dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. Oh god! Snape knew! Snape knew!! This couldn't be happening!! Oh god!!

"You!" the voice was cold and sullen.

Harry raised his free hand in defense, strengthening his hold on the other's hand at the same time. "Professor, I can explain!"

"YOU!!" Snape stood up struggling to free himself from Harry's grip. "Let go!!" he slapped Harry's hand off his own breaking the energy link and stumbled back away from the boy's protection. "I… I…" Severus didn't know what to think, what to say at this revelation. 

Harry tumbled to his feet dizzily reaching hurt for Snape. The man flinched, mortified, from Harry. "Please, let me explain, please," he begged. He wanted to cry and run away, but his body wanted to bring that man close to him as before. His senses and heart needed the other close. He couldn't explain it. He reached out with a trembling hand swaying unsteadily. "Professor-" Suddenly his vision blurred and he fell forward losing consciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing. There were wings on the twin's back? Wings like birds had… But the eyes were those of a reptile! Impossible! 

Suddenly a memory flashed back into his mind, a memory from his school days. It had been night and he had awoken after a nightmare. He had sat up on his bed and had pushed the curtains aside. Looking around he had spotted James sitting at the window looking out into the night sky. Sirius had called curiously out and the other had turned startled. But what Sirius had seen was not the boy he was used to know. It was a man with eyes like a cats, the blue of his eyes had shone in the reflection of what little light was provided by the moon outside. But most of all he had been startled by the longs ears that had been visible. Back then James had smiled embarrassed saying he had done a Potion wrong and that in the morning he would see the medi-witch to fix him back. Sirius had believed him. Why shouldn't he have?

Yet now… Now with what he was witnessing the suspicion of being lied to was increasing in his heart. It was painful…

Fred looked down at him, raising an eyebrow. "Well, aren't you coming?" 

Sirius animal instincts made his fur stand up on its end. They were screaming that he should not defy this creature in front of him that was not human. 

George sighed. "It is your choice, you don't have to stay too close to us, but those Dragons over there are our way out of here. We will go with or without you. But remember. The final choice and decision, of us ever returning into the real world, lies with the dragons over there. You should not lie or hide anything from them. We are in the in the mind of a Clan Leader, the Head of the High Council nonetheless. He's twisted enough to keep you here." George shrugged. "Us on the other hand, we will get out, if only because of our Membership in the Council."

Sirius looked up at Remus, but his friend was seemingly at loss of words as well. So much information in so little time… It was hard to process, but Sirius understood too well the seriousness of the situation. He could recall a text he had once read at school for History of magic, which narrated about a woman who had been trapped within the mind of her husband for years after an attack during the Dark Ages. Her husband, living in fear of having her killed by the landlords for witchcraft, had unknowingly somehow activated a spell and sucked her up in his mind. She had passed years alone in the mind of the one she loved, trapped within his thoughts and lonely as one can possibly be. Slowly turning mad and depressed. Unable to end her life because of the scars she could cause to her beloved's mind, and unable to do magic to rescue herself. His energy was which kept her barely alive.

It took her husband years of research to get her out and it was reported later, that had he not known consciously of her whereabouts, she would have remained imprisoned until he would have walked to the afterlife.

In other words their current situation was worse than hers because the Slytherin boy was apparently not aware he had used this power to summon them into his mind. That lead to the fact that they had to clear it out to Malfoy and make him realize his action in order for the boy to undo his own work.

Sirius laid his ears against his head feeling guilty. He always became over-emotional when it came to Harry's safety. He loved the boy as if he was his own son; he had been the only reason for Sirius's being able to escape Azkaban. The focus to protect and allow Harry to know him had been the driving force for many years in him. He had escaped Azkaban in search for his godson and it had hurt deeply that he had thought him the murderer of his parents. But he could also still recall clearly those eyes, shining bright with happiness, when he had offered the boy a home to stay. At the end all his suffering was worth that smile he had been awarded with, a family which not only Harry lacked. Both on their own would be alone, but together they were… yes, they were family. 

Had he known that keeping Draco Malfoy awake, after he had now obviously helped Harry, would lead to this, he would have even allowed Snape to kick him happily. But right now was not the time to wonder about things that could no longer be undone. It was important to get out of here and at least apologize for his mistake and do everything to make it better.

Sirius transformed back. "Let's go then. What are you waiting for?" he turned to Remus. "Wondering about why they seemed to be a cross between a reptile and a bird won't bring us any further right now. We should focus on the actual problem."

Dumbledore shook his head and sighed. "You are right, my boy. Let's continue." He glanced at Minerva, than at George. "I'll be awaiting very intrigued for some very long explanations, I believe."

The twins smiled sheepishly but nodded anyway.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tom awoke and startled up. He had fallen asleep on the couch a while back… well sometime ago taking the lowering sun outside of the window into account. He tried to sit up, but everything around him turned upside down and backwards, his stomach tightened and everything he had eaten came out of him again. Nagini said something but all he managed to tell was for her to leave the room and bring him water or something. 

He cursed mentally, was this part of the illness? He had thought he was finally over it. 

Power rushed through him, trying to rip him apart, darkness drowning his rational thoughts. What the hell was this?! Somehow he succeeded to get up to his feet and walk out to the bathroom where he broke down next to the sink. He laid on the cold floor, heat pulsing trough his veins. His body was coming to its limit; he couldn't handle much of this any longer. He felt like a balloon about to burst into pieces due too much air. Unable to move, he did the only thing that came into his already dazed mind. He linked the darkness to those bearing the Dark Mark and let it overflow into them. Not too much, but enough for his pain to cease and continue allowing the world to load its negative energy on to him. He knew he was poisoning his followers mind turning them into dark slaves, but he couldn't change it. Without James he couldn't purify the energy and return it to the world… 

He closed his eyes falling back to sleep with one final though. What would happen once the world's energy decreased to a level in which it would become impossible for them to return it to it? 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They stood all at the feet of those majestic creatures. Their skin seemed more beautiful close up than admiring it from afar. It was unnatural in some way; they weren't like the dragons they used to know. Their mere presence radiated strength and strong will as well as power. Their bodies moved in gentle motion with each breath. At closer inspection they noticed that one was female and the other male, their claws marked the difference. While the female had smaller yet visibly sharper ones, the other one's were strong and huge. Sirius shuddered, the size was enough to let Remus as a werewolf seem like a puppy next to it.

George nodded them to go down to their knees. Sirius was glad; after the stairs he was rather exhausted. He looked over to Albus who seemed relieved at the rest as well. Fred stepped over to his twin and they nodded to one another. Their wings clapped around them like a cloak as they bowed to the creature.

George spoke first in that strange language Harry and them had used earlier in the infirmary. Listening to them, Sirius noted a pattern of hisses like a snake and yet it had a musical sound. Some words seemed to be from today's languages of the world; still the mere sound had an ancient tune to it. 

The male dragon moved heavily it's resting head from the female's back and turned to them. Pale eyes glanced calmly over them. Then he leaned his head back yawning exposing terrifying fangs and stretched his huge wings from its body. One alone seemed the size of the creature itself. 

Sirius watched, impressed at this. The dragon turned his head slightly to the sides, it seemed he was loosening some tense muscles, before he returned his attention to them. His eyes were serious now, almost business like. That was a rather strange thought, Sirius remarked quietly acquiring a curious look from his friend.

"What are you doing here?" the dragon spoke in English with a deep voice. "Did she bring you here?"

The professors looked quizzing at one another but remained in silence.

"She?" George spoke out standing straight before the creature. "We do not understand, High Council."

The dragon fixed his eyes on the red haired young man. "The boy… He caused her to awaken, reclaiming what is rightfully hers." He pointed over to the still sleeping form next to him as he clapped his wings back to his body. "Harry Potter… He called Drake back…"

Fred's head spun to his brother realizing the meaning of the dragon's words. They knew that each dragon leader had a twin for the case of one's death, but none of them had been told that the Head of Council's other half had already died. The twins had just thought that the High Council's twin simply never exposed himself to public.

"Wait…" George spoke up. "If Draco's body is actually Drake's " he was confused. "Who are you?"

A tiered smile appeared on the dragon's face. It was frightening since it exposed its fangs. Light enveloped the male dragon blinding them. 

As Sirius lowered his arms from his eyes, and there were moments before had been the huge creature, he saw a man with shoulder lengthen blond hair, held back by a tie. This man was in his early twenty. Long ears on each side of his head and wings clapped around him the way Fred and George had. It was Draco Malfoy… much older…

"I am Draco, Head of the High Council, Leader of the Wind Clans. " he motioned with his hand to the remaining dragon. "And this is my sister Drake, Priestess to the Yorae Clan, current head of the Wind Clans, since my death, if you wish to know."

[This would be the perfect cliffhanger ^^, but I know people would kick me if I left it off here. Besides the chapter would be way too short like this, right? ^_^]

The twins gaped at Draco and they weren't alone in that. 

"But it is impossible for you to remain still within your sister!!" Fred exclaimed. "You should have disappeared!"

Sirius got up to his feet. "Wait, would you speak in a way that we can all understand what is going on!!"

The winged one's turned to him with dark eyes. He flinched back slightly. 

"Listen, don't you think you should explain us what is going on here. We're stuck here as well." Sirius exclaimed finding his voice again as Remus moved to his side laying supporting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, Sirius is right." Albus spoke from his position on the ground. "All I have managed to add together this far is that you three boys are of the Clan families in the old legends that speak of the powers that guard the balance of the world… The Gods and Dragons…"

Minerva blinked at the headmaster. "Albus, that's not even a legend it's a myth!"

"Ah, but aren't legends and myth based on some part of truth?" Draco asked with a smile as he walked pass the twins over to them. "Please sit down and I shall tell you a few things about us." He glanced at Fred and George. "Will you remain there?"

The twins hurried to his side and they settled between Sirius and Minerva.

"As Master Dumbledore has already guessed correctly, we are indeed of the Dragon Blood. " Draco spoke up as he glanced with his pale eye at each one of them.

"But-"

"Please let me speak first," Draco raised his hand and interrupted Minerva. "You must understand the complexity of our mission here with you mortals and some of our ways of being before you should waste our time asking needless questions." he paused seeing understanding in their eyes. "As Master Dumbledore has also stated, there are two classes of power on the world which control it. There are the Gods, whose powers rest in the understanding of the living being. They are known and skilled for their power to create live. This is basically the myth that still exist nowadays in your world."

The professor's nodded.

"The second power are us Dragons, we are divided in two classes the Elemental Families and the Old Clans, and the Visionary. Latter classes are of higher power due their level of power since their magic is much more spiritual. We, of the Elemental Families, are as the name already says, we hold power to control elements, wind, fire, etc…" He scratched the back of his nose. "The leaders of each Elemental Family form the High Council which I used to be the head of. Now, we Dragons follow a certain law for over millenniums. We are not to interfere with the evolution of the human world. Yet the circumstances have changed drastically for you as well as for us.

"The Visionary Clan's leaders are the ones that take the used energy of the world within them, and through them, purify it returning it to the world. Now for the last 16 years this task has not been performed. The darkness is gathering, unable to escape its prison. And soon the time will come when it will explode out of it, destroying everything in its path that we of the Dragons and Gods have so dearly watched develop. 

"You must understand that Clan Leaders are born twins in order for their power and knowledge to be shared should something happen. This way everything the leader knows as well as some power and memories accompanied with emotions are passed on to his twin. That is usually the reason for which twins shouldn't be sent off together on missions." He glared at Fred and George.

"Hey, its coincidence we ended up together here. We were to be send off to different missions," George protested.

"Whichever the case, I died years ago and my entire essence was absorbed by my sister. She couldn't cope with my loss and took everything I was into her. Since one of the abilities for which our clan is known is the orientating and controlling of energy, is was easy for her to perform this task. Yet at the death of her… lover, she fell into coma leaving her body empty like a useless shell. By the time I took over and it had been that way ever since until Mr. Potter's breakdown. She's emotionally connected to him through our past and as sensing his life in danger she overpowered me and awoke." Draco's eyes became hard. "But she's not the born leader. She is a perfect strategist, but she lacks the strength to see past her female instinct and be rational when needed. She will do anything in her power for the safety and happiness of Harry Potter even at the cost of the protocols that have existed for countless generations!"

"A moment, I understand this dragon thing you are explaining a little bit." Sirius passed thoughtfully a hand through his hair. "But… Well..." He sighed. "I don't know how to put it…" let out a deep breath. "If you are a dragon, does that mean Lucius Malfoy is one too?"

The twins chuckled as Draco smiled. "No, we dragons come to the mortal world letting our energy be reborn by a mortal woman. Genetically we remain dragons, the only thing that unite us with you mortals is our name and our emotions towards the family we are born in. And before you ask. Yes, the dragons you know are also able to turn human like us. But the dragons here follow a different law. They are the Old Clans which live in our dragon form, they will never speak to you nor will the ever let you know about their origins. They follow the old ways. Should they break this law, the High Council would see itself forced to eliminate the entire Clan…"

Sirius paled at the answer.

Suddenly the Drake let out a pained scream, her bright skin flaring dark. The Dark Mark hovering over her head pouring acid like liquid onto her.

"Oh god! Drake!!" Draco screamed alarmed before turning to them. "Get out of here." 

Energy exploded of his hand and they all felt a strong hit on their chest as they collapsed against the beds and walls of the infirmary, causing Madam Pomfrey to yelp in shock.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Oh man, I brought way too little Harry and Sev in this chapter! Now, I have to make up for it in the next… ^_^ what will poor Sev do now that he knows who Harry is? I wonder… *grin* Should I tell you that the Dragon Council sends someone to pick their stray dragons up? Or should I rather put the interlude about James' past? Decisions, decision…

Shayla


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: 

Okay, people, sorry for taking this long to upload. ^^' I actually had forgotten to update. BTW, I uploaded chapter 1-9 again because there were still many mistakes in them and Anna, my second beta, reappeared from wherever she was and corrected what errors remained. And well, I added a few paragraph to chapter 5 and 6, but it's not necessary to re-read them to continue understanding the story…  

Thanks to Lexi and Anna for correcting my terrible grammar. 

Chapter 10 

Colors filled the pale sky as the sun arose to its highest in the horizon. Marvelous sparkles like a kaleidoscope engulfed it, seeming to form a center on top of a large building in the form of a coliseum. There, flashes of light and fog concentrated and it appeared as thought thousands and thousands of butterflies had flown up and decided to show off their beauty. But if one dared to take a closer look, one would notice that those creatures up there were neither insects nor birds, they were dragons. And the building was the house where the High Council gathered in order to search for answers and to form decisions that would influence everyone's lives. 

Today would be the time to speak of the fate that the council had decided on the ways of the Yorae…

The blond woman sat next to the empty seat of the Head of the Council. She fidget nervously with her hands in her robes straightening them. She watched with pale eyes as the Elders settled in the lower ranks near her, while the others took their assigned places in the room. Some remained at the top, settling in their dragon form on the walls looking down or speaking to one another.

She sighed, she hated it when it became her duty to answer to the clans when the High Counceler himself wasn't present. Waiting a while longer for the members to fill the room, she thought of what she could say to convince them to consider Draco's request for the Potter boy to remain in the mortal world a while longer. She did not know how far the boy was ready for the travel here, but from what she recalled the last time they had met a few years back, they boy had probably still no clue of his true heritage. But then again, when she had met the boy they had both not known of each other's true selves.  Had she known that he was the Yorae, she would have stopped Lucius many times of trying to kill the child. Sighing again she realized that it didn't matter what she knew or didn't, neither did it matter whether she would have interfered. Surely Master Tom would have aided the boy in the last moment… Yet she could also not forget the countless times the Yorae God had tried to kill his young heir. Over the years she had come to the conclusion that the loss of the Yorae Dragon had been indeed a far greater loss than expected. Not only because it was thought for a long time that there was no leader nor successor left, but also because the Yorae God had disappeared the same night as well. The fact that Harry was not immediately recognized as the heir to the Visionary until he began using his magic at the age of two or three had been a difficult time. Master James' death, Tom's possible death and the loss of the heir in one and the same night had been a devastating blow for the Clans. 

Tom's sudden return as Harry began to be taught in the arts of the wizarding world was a great relief just to be disrupted by the knowledge that James' energy and memories had become lost. The loss of his twin had driven the Yorae God to the brink of death to be accompanied with the inability to perform the Purification Ceremony that would return the used energy to the world, for this he lacked his brother's part. Instead the energy gathered on and on into himself, driving him into madness.

Her thoughts are brought back to the present as the Speaker announces that the meeting is ready to start. Taking a deep breath, calming herself she gets up to her feet. He long robes moving gently with the breeze around her as was expected of the representative of the Wind Clan. The heavy and old ornaments that were clipped in her hair and ears made soothing sound that harmonized with every step she took towards the center podium. She could feel the tingling of the painting on her face. It was tradition that in public interaction with other clans the eldest and wisest, as well as the high-ranking members of their society where marked by signs on their faces. Hers represented her clan and her age and her ranking as Great-Mother to the Wind Leader, but also she bore the mark of the mother of the current High Council. Finally reaching the center from where here voice would be echoed throughout the hall she took another deep breath before speaking.

"Honorable Members of the High Council, I am the Great-Mother of the Wind Clan and our honored Leader." Formalities had to be kept always. 

Murmurs started at her words. It was expected, they wanted their leader not his mother to speak. But her son remained still in the human world, and his current position at Hogwarts would not allow him to just drop by.

"I have come to speak to you in the High Council's name." She paused shortly. "He has heard your request to bring the Young Yorae back to our society and introduce him to the teachings of the Visionary. Yet he asks of you to reconsider your words. " Again she paused allowing them a moment to prepare for her coming words. "The Young Yorae has not yet entered Seasoning, his powers are still dormant and it would be of great risk to his life to force him to attend the Journey to our lands."

"We made our decision knowing the risk!" a man spoke from the upper rows, she did not recognize him. "The majority of the council decided for this action."

"I do understand what you are saying but-" 

Others interrupted her, protesting against the High Council's way of treating the situation. They pointed out his absence and his neglecting of his duty for the last 16 years, only returning briefly now and then. She had feared they would say this and she had warned Draco about this. 

"Great-Mother Narcissa, do you speak only in our honored Leader's name or has the Yorae God voiced his doubts about our decision as well?"

She looked up to the source of the voice thanking her friend mentally. It was the Great-Mother of the Fire Leaders. Narcissa knew that Fred and George were still at Hogwarts over staying their time.

"The Yorae God has no saying in this matter!" someone called out and others joined his protest.

She sighed, every time the council came to discuss the situation of the Yorae they would end up arguing themselves to annoyance. The members were divided on their opinion to Master Tom, because he could not be considered part of them lacking James' energy and memories. He was seen as a God, and Gods and Dragons were not to interfere with each other's policies or decisions for the world. The only exception to this rule was the Yorae Clan as long as their leader were united by being both alive or by their essences becoming one.

Suddenly there was a burst of light coming from the front rows. The coliseum silenced immediately. There was only one who dared to catch their attention like this. Okay, normally there were others, but he was the one known for it. An older man stood up slowly, the sound of his walking stick clicking on the marble floor as he moved towards Narcissa. She bowed respectfully before her elder and allowed him to take stand in the center where she had spoken. His face was marked by a scar over his left eye, his black-gray hair contrasted to his dark green robes and the ornaments on his ears classified him as one of the highest ranks, his words were sometimes higher seen as that of the High Council even after he had retired many centuries ago. A scowl formed on his face as he crossed his arms standing proudly as any young one, his dark green eyes sparkling annoyance and the power they all knew he beheld.

"You all should better keep quite! Most of you have not even been once in the human world and neither do you know of the difficulties that you have to face there. How can you accuse Master Draco of neglecting his duty, how dare you accuse the Yorae LEADER of not thinking about all our well-beings?!!" his voice was a dangerous hiss that made Narcissa shudder and she could see she was not the only one, many lowered their gaze ashamed, some flinched at the words the old man said.

"What are you? Children?! If Master Draco has asked the Great-Mother of the Wind Clan to come before us to tell us his request, he must have a reason! Now let her speak and listen well, before you dare interrupt her. Behave the age you are and do not act like a mortal man would. We are supposed to be wise compared to them. Yet when I sit here and watch your display I wonder truly if we are not just the same as them!!" His voice was harsh and Narcissa chuckled slightly. He always reminded her of someone…

He nodded for her to take her earlier place. She bowed again before him thanking him before addressing the council once more. "As I wanted to inform you earlier the Young Yorae is very sick, he has been infected with a ancient human virus."

They stared at her.

She smiled weakly. "Well, actually, I must confess that he is not the only one affected by this… Our current Yorae Leader was also weakened greatly by this illness and he has just recently started to recover. Our honored Leader fears that the journey here might cause death to the young heir of the Yorae, therefore he asked me to request of you to reconsider your decision. Once the Yorae is in a state to take the journey the High Council would see it himself that the child is brought to us." She lowered her head. "But we will of course follow the council's final word." Taking a step back, she turned and walked back to her seat, her eyes wandering to the older man as he nodded to her confidently and left the gathering through an exit nearby. She sighed. Now she just had to wait.

The Speaker of the Council, a tall woman of the Old Clans stepped onto the podium. "The High Council will rethink their decision and we shall gather again tomorrow at the same time. Although I personally believe that it is clear that we cannot risk the loss of another Yorae!" She gave Narcissa a reassuring smile who received it welcoming.

She made also her way out through the small exit hoping to find the old man and thank him properly. 

"Great-Mother Narcissa! Wait!"

She turned blinking around.

"Great-Mother Ann, what can I do for you?" she asked a little surprised.

The red-haired woman sighed. "Are you returning to the human world?"

Narcissa nodded.

"Then I must ask you to contact my sons that the Fire Family requires their presence back. My sons have stayed too long already and we really need at least one of them back. "Ann sighed. "Besides those two are so troublesome, they might end up interfering with Master Draco's plan."

"I do not think my son finds it disturbing in any way that your sons are there, but I will tell them nonetheless."

Ann sighed. "And send them my greeting, I do pity the poor mortal who had to bear with them so long."

Laughter escaped Narcissa. "Dear, do not worry, that woman has enough children to worry about, two less wouldn't have made a big difference."

Ann narrowed her gray-green eyes. "You'd think! I know my family, Great-Mother Narcissa, and you know were are famous for being tricksters."

She laid a hand on the red-haired woman's shoulder. "Trust me, they have live up well to that." She smiled as the other sighed again. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have to return. My mortal husband might wonder where I went to."

"He doesn't know about you, does he?"

Narcissa shook her head. "No, it will remain my secret and my son's to keep. Fare well, Great-Mother." 

They both bowed and left their respective ways. 

Narcissa stepped to the gates that would open a path to the human world. She had gone home to their clan her servants helping her out of the formal robes and cleaning her face. Here she was simply Narcissa again. Not the mother of a clan leader, not titles to be use, no formal way of speaking to follow. The only mark that remained, was the one underneath her right ear that showed classified her as taken wife and mother, but that, she would hide once she was back in the wizarding world. 

Now she stood in her witches robes, her wand under her sleeve, gathering her energy to open the gate and allow her to pass to the Sanctuary that was in underneath London. She lifted her arms concentrating on her destination, letting the energy path guide her to where she wanted to end up.

"You are already leaving, Great-Mother Narcissa?"

She startled out of her trance loosing concentration. She spun around to face the man that had aided her earlier. "Master Salazar?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Green eyes starred dazed at him, the body ached against his as he let his hand wander over the smooth skin. He could feel the young one underneath him responded to his every move. His face was caught and pulled down to kiss, to share the moment. Warm and heavy breathing caressed his cheek as they were but inches from each other. Those eyes seemed to gaze in a blurry hunger up to him. It seemed wrong and yet he couldn't stop himself from continuing. He wanted this so badly. It was his to take, his to make. He knew it therefore he would not stop. He couldn't stop. Something was driving him to this, and he could feel that there was no choice fighting this yearning and longing that flared up in him.

His mind was fuzzy and he didn't believe he could think clearly. There were scents in the room that drugged his mind, exotic as the flowers of the jungle. Hands undressed him, lips kissing him, licking his face now. Those dazed eyes closed from his view. But he could still feel the roaming of the hands caressing him tenderly, almost lovingly.

He kissed back as a hand moved to close his eyes. He went lower, sucking lightly at a nipple receiving a groan as an answer. He passed his hands through the tousled hair hearing like in a dream as soft laughter. And looking up at the young one's face he saw teeth as a wolf's for a moment before they were gone again. 

Tracing kisses with his lips over the body, he went lower and lower. The one underneath screamed in ecstasy seemingly unconscious of doing such. And then he retreated resting against the young one, their heat and heartbeat humming in unison almost harmonic. Leaning slightly back the green eyes were locked to him, a caring smile on the young one's face before it leaned forward demanding more kissing.

And pleadingly he heard the others voice. "Don't leave me… Never leave me…"

He kissed the neck slightly as fingers pushed through his longer hair. His thumbs caressing the other's nipples sucking carefully on the skin here and there. A hand moved between his legs stroking him, barely enough to make him know the touch. It was like a fire burning within him, stronger than he had ever felt. Again lips met and they found themselves engulfed in ecstasy again and again and again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Madam Pomfrey glared angrily at all of them. After they had landed all over her infirmary, squashing some furniture and scaring her almost to death, she had tugged them all into beds and examined them. She hadn't been very surprised to find out that the twins were dragons as Dumbledore and the others had expected her to be. She took it lightly shrugging and saying that she already knew that or did they expect her to be a medi-witch and not understand her patients from a to z.

Draco remained unconscious although his appearance had altered and there laid now a woman with long ears in the boy's bed. Also neither Severus nor Harry had awoken yet. Harry lay on his stomach, his back had been covered in blood. There were two equally large and probably deep wounds going straight from his shoulder-blade about 15 centimeters down his back. Sirius had been alarmed and Madam Pomfrey had to cast a spell for him to remain tied down to his bed until she decided otherwise. Closing the boy's curtains she had attended his wound and bandaged them. 

McGonagall sat in her bed watching, as Remus quietly seemed to gather all the earlier information and tried to process it. Dumbledore had fallen asleep, exhausted, in his. Fred and George were the only ones allowed out of their bed. They stood next to Snape and walked around the back nervously not daring to come too close. Finally Madam Pomfrey came closer to the twins.

"His energy is out of order, it seems to me that it is searching for something to stable it," she said as she took the Potion Master's wrist into her hand and checked the pulse. 

"That's strange, he should be alright. Harry supported him all the way." George said shocking his head confused. 

Fred nodded in agreement as he let his wings vanish like his brother had done earlier and returned to his complete human appearance. " He should be awake as the rest of us are."

The medi-witch crossed thoughtfully her arms as she snapped her fingers and the curtains around them closed them off the rest. "You don't happen to know what happened to young Potter's back."

"I think he hadn't had spread his wings yet and we asked of him to fly long distance and to carry a heavy weight," Fred said, guiltily lowering his head.

She sighed. "I thought so…" She stepped closer to the bed. "But what interest me more is what you have to say to this." She pushed Severus' eyelid up revealing a blue eye in slit form. "I know he is no dragon, I can tell, so what exactly caused this?!"

The twins gaped with wide eyes at her. They looked perplexed at Madam Pomfrey. 

"We have no idea." George finally answered for both of them.

Suddenly Fred leaned over Severus, narrowing his eyes at her. "Wait, how can you know he is no dragon?"

She smiled tiredly. "I'm half-god, I usually can tell dragons apart from humans. I was there when Severus was born, he's no dragon."

George raised an eyebrow. "And a god?"

She shook her head.

"Somehow this is all getting out of hand…" Fred bit down on his thumb. "I'm going to see Tom. We can't handle this with Draco and Harry being out."

Madam Pomfrey held Fred back from leaving. "Tom?"

"The Yorae God, he's here in the human world… He's the only one who can help us right now." He explained before leaving.

She passed a hand through her hair. "I have a bad feeling…" she whispered unaware of George's curious glance at her.

Severus moved in his bed his breathing starting to come in short gasps. His body tensed. Madam Pomfrey reached out, but this time a blur of energy flashed around the man causing her to stumble back into the curtains surprised. His lips parted and he seemed to want to say something, but no sound came out but a low moan.

George scowled unbelievingly. "Is he having some kind of sexual dream?!"

Madam Pomfrey slapped him over the head. "Get out Mr. Weasley! Out! Now!"

"Okay, okay, no need to get angry." He hushed out as she followed him. She turned once more around casting a silencing charm and closing the Potion Master off the others. Right now, there wasn't much she could do to help him, if his energy was in such disorder that it held others away from touching him. 

But she remembered a similar situation. Years back when… When…

She leaned her head to the side. Somehow she couldn't grasp on to that memory, it was like someone was always taking it farther and farther away from her. She sighed deeply. The memory would eventually come back to her if it was important.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"And the world has sunk in depth 

And it fell upon the bed

Rolling of my sheets

Hitting on my feet

Crashing on the ground

I marveled just the sound

Picking up the shar-"

"James! SHUT UP!!" the young woman cried out annoyed as she glared up from her papers laying across the library desk. "SHUT UP!! I don't want to hear you make up or sing anything else!!" She threw her astronomy book at him, which he evaded easily. "For the last 46 minutes since you have stepped over that balcony into my private library you have done nothing but sing annoying children songs or make absolutely stupid ones up! I'm working for crying out loud!!"

The dark haired young man grinned amused. "If you would just answer my question Drake, I would have already left."

The blond girl trembled furiously. "YOU!!! YOU!!! ARGH!!!" she threw everything from her table to the ground. "I HATE YOU!!" With this she stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her hearing still the other's concerned voice as he called her back. She cried quietly. She would not give in to him. Never give in to that bastard!! Never!! 

She slid down to the ground pulling her legs close to her chest, crying and rocking slowly back and forth. Who did that stupid Dragon think he was?! Just because he was a Yorae didn't mean he could get away with anything he wanted. No he would not get away with kissing her. No way!! She'll rather die first!!

An arm came around her and pulled her close. The body next to her smelled of vanilla and strawberry. She snuggled close to her brother. He was the only one who smelled like that. She had made the essence especially for him. 

"Are you ready to talk now?"

Her head snapped up and she starred shocked into a pair of blue eye.

"Ja… James?!!" she tried to struggled free of his hold, but he held her close. "Let go!!"

"No, we have to talk Drake!" he exclaimed.

"No way I'm ever coming near you again! You perverted half-breed!!" she screamed annoyed and angry.

He suddenly let go off her. "Is that it? Why you hate me? Because I'm not pure dragon?" he asked hurt.

"Yes! I loath you!! Loath you with all my heart!!" she cried tears streaming out of her eyes. "Get out!! I never want to see you again!! I will quit being a Yorae Priestess!! So do not ever come here again. Never again, you hear me!!!" with this she got up to her feet running away and jumping out of the nearest window transforming into a dragon and getting out of the city as fast as possibly.

Draco awoke tiredly. It had been years since he had last dreamed of James, better yet, years since he had dreamed his sister's memories. He sat up abruptly, glancing around. He was in the infirmary, it was already dark outside and his arm hurt. He looked down at him blushing as he notice the tightness of his shirt around his chest. He was truly in Drake's body. He shuddered, that was so strange! Taking a quick look around that there was no one seeing he stretched his arms up over his head and altered the body to what it should look like to him. A man in his late 20 early thirty. Afterwards he would have to cast a youth spell on himself to start looking like 16 again. Sleepily he leaned back into the bed. What had happened? He couldn't recall, but Drake taking over and then there was the fuzzy memory of talking to other people… 

His head ached. Maybe he should sleep a while longer. He succumbed once more into dreamland.

From the shadow a figure watched him. Ruby eye glancing hurt at the man in the bed. Time was running out and Harry still had not awoken. And neither had the remaining powers of the Yorae Dragon, they remained in their dormant form. For how much longer… War was already about to start. He had overdone his outburst of energy on the Death Eaters. How many of them remained still in their clear mind? How many had not turned into dark slaves? What was going to happen?


	12. Chapter 11

AN: 

Thanks to Lexi for once again checking my grammar and to Arwen Rayne who pointed out one of the most obvious mistakes I can't believe I hadn't seen it before. Thanks! ^_^.

And of course thanks for the reviews, I'm sorry I can't reply to each of you, I have little time and well… *****sighs* keeping up with my studies and work doesn't leave me quiet as much time as I'd like to have.

Anyway. Enjoy.

Chapter 11 

There are things in this world that are simply not good to witness when you wake up and there are some that you mark as miracles for their exceptionality. And then there existed those moments in which you can't decide which is worse.

Severus opened his eyes to find himself lying on soft grass. All he could see was grass as far as he looked. He sat up slowly and wondered what had happened. The last thing he could recall was his… discovery about Potter.

He touched his lips with his finger as flashes of green eyes starring blurrily and in lust at him crossed his mind. His body tensed at the memory wanting the sensation of those moments back. He shuddered, he couldn't recall what it was, and it was as though a part of his memory had simply been erased. All he could associate to those eyes was… Potter

His expression darkened as he got up to his feet and the wind blew his hair into his face. Reaching with a hand up he moved it behind his ear. That stupid boy had given himself freely to Voldemort and deceived them all, throwing aside all their sacrifices. And yet he couldn't forget the hurt he had seen in those green eyes as the boy had reached out for him. 

He blinked. Where was Potter? He spun around for any sign of the boy, but to no success. 

"Potter!" he called out taking a step forward.

Suddenly the ground trembled underneath him and it cracked away around him. He moved back but there too the ground was vanishing into nothingness. His mind panicked and damned him for having let go of the boy's hand. Who knew where he was right now?

Then as sudden as the ground had crumbled around him, leaving him on a small island in the middle of nothing but clouds and sky, it stopped.

"You should be more careful." 

Severus turned alarmed around to see a white hooded man with silver wings floating in the air before him. "Who are you?!" he asked narrowing his eyes. He hated it to be surprised; that had happened too often in the last time.

The man landed gracefully next to him on what little ground remained. His face remained hidden in the shadows of his hood. "Does it matter who I am? I believe you would rather want some answers to your other questions."

He quirked up an eyebrow at the stranger.

There was a soft and disturbingly familiar laugh. "I was talking about your students."

"Potter?"

The man nodded. "Yes, we can talk about him as well if you wish." He seemed to stare at the Potion Master. "Do you wish to speak about the child? Or are there other matters that are of more importance to you? What are your priorities?" The man crossed his arms and a strange tattoo in form of a dragons' eye became visibly on the back of his hand. "But you must only ask that of true importance because my time is running out and I do not know whether I will have the strength to speak to you again."

Severus examined the other man carefully with glances, but there wasn't much he could see beside the fact that he was tall and of pale skin as himself.

"Where am I?" he finally spoke his first question.

The man motioned with his hand around them. "All that you see is what little is left of my power. This is my sanctuary, my last remaining energy that rest within you."

"What?"

"Do not ask what is of no importance to you now, my time is short," the man said as he lowered his arms again.

"How can I ask if I don't know what you can tell me!" he snapped annoyed back.

The other seemed to find this amusing because he chuckled lightly. "Indeed, how can you…" the man extended his hand towards Severus. "Take it and I'll show you things that might answer some of what your are wondering about and then again it might cause you to question even more. That will be entirely up to you… and what you decide…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus found himself in the rooms where the Death Eater meetings of the Inner Circle where held. He looked around. Everyone was gathered and even his place was occupied.

The hooded man hovered next to him in the air. "I want you to see thing from another perspective. Moments you have already lived through and moment you haven't been even aware of…" He spoke in that disturbingly familiar voice Severus couldn't place. 

"And why would that be of any importance to me?" he growled annoyed.

The man turned to him. "Because, Severus Snape, I gave you my life in order for my clans to live. I willingly offered my brother's life and sanity in exchange for a better future in the believe that you will have the strength necessary to make Harry Potter believe in his own strength and in that of others. Because I know that you are deep down inside a good man, and because you have no other choice." He could see a smile from under the shadows of the hood. "You never had a choice concerning the future. It was already decided the moment we first met."

Before Severus had a chance to say anything else, Voldemort came in followed by the two women that always followed him and Jathy. And suddenly Severus knew what moment of his life this was. It was the day Jathy had been introduced to the Death Eater's. 

And the hooded man pushed him forward towards the young vampire, whose face seemed blank of expression. But as he approached now, unblended by the normal pressure of simply being in front of the Dark Lord, he could take the time to examine Jathy's closer. 

The eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty. The body language although seemingly strong lacked the level of power he always thought the man had. This was indeed nothing more than a child forced to act like someone he wasn't.

The surrounding vanished and Severus turned startled around to find himself in a forest. He glanced around seeing here and there the barely visibly light of a wand held up to lighten the path. He followed the light the stranger close behind him. 

They came to a clearing; the sacrifice clearing to be exact. 

Here the Death Eater's practiced new curses and ways to torture people. Severus felt sick in the pit of his stomach, he remember too many unpleasant moment here.

"Professor Snape."

Severus turned to see his own self in Death Eater's clothing turning towards the young vampire.

"Are you ready?" the young man asked smiling a dark smile similar to the ones he knew from Voldemort. "Or would you rather have me do your work?" The green eyes seemed to glint with amusement, but the man's body was awfully tense.

"How come I never noticed this before?" he whispered.

"That is because the boy doesn't use his own energy when he's acting as a Death Eater…" the hooded man explained as he pointed for Severus to continue watching the scene before him.

Other Death Eaters had joined them and some came dragging in Muggles who where screaming in fear of them, pleading for mercy… for their lives. But they encounter nothing but deaf ears…

Jathy moved forward grapping a boy no older than 8 maybe 9 years and lifted him up to his feet. The child sobbed and the vampire caressed his check as though he cared before suddenly letting the child burst into flames. His shrill cry of pain and death filling the night. Severus watched for a second time struggling against the need to throw up as the scent of boiled skin filled his nostril.

He wanted to turn away but the hooded man grabbed his arm and pulled him forward closer to the vampire. Severus face was lifted by the stranger's hand. "Look at him! Look!"

He didn't want to, he didn't understand the need of recalling this so vividly. But he glanced up at the vampire anyway. And what he saw startled him. The green eyes were red and the boy's energy flared unsteadily around him as though it wasn't his own. It seemed that the energy grew from the ground where he stood crawling over him and suffocating the man into its control and will. And at the corner of his mouth he could see it twitch before the man pressed his lips together and his face returned expressionless, eyes becoming green again.

Jathy turned around walking away from the clearing. "There's no need to thank me for doing your job, Professor, I just though that we should hurry. I believe we have a mission to attend." And with this the man disappeared into the darkness of the forest, but not before Severus cold see a tear roll down the vampire's face.

"There are things you are never aware off unless you see them from another point of view, right?"

Severus didn't respond.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Awaking with a headache was one thing, awaking with a killing headache and a sober body was a totally different one. Now there was usually something to blame for both things, they don't come up and haunt you for mere fun. Harry opened slowly his eyes adjusting them to the brightness of the room. 

He thought back to what had happened. Not that his mind was actually in any state of working order, but the little he recalled was enough to make him groan in annoyance. Snape knew he was Jathy, Snape knew Harry was willingly putting himself into Voldemort's hands and Snape knew Harry was throwing away all the sacrifices that man did in order to keep his student alive only to have said boy threw it off and away. And the Potion Master most probably thought that Harry had done it for whatever reasons not thinking about the consequences his action would bring: the foolish Gryffindorish way in other words.

Bad enough that Harry had slept with the man without recalling it, now to add to the hatred that had always been there for him, this had to happen. He really hated his life.

Slowly he pushed himself up to sit hissing at the pain on his back. Taking a look around he saw that he was in the infirmary in Hogwarts. He wondered for a moment how he had returned. The suddenly remembering that Snape had let go off his hand he crawled out of the bed pushing the curtains around his bed aside and taking a peek out.

The other beds where empty, but next to his seemed to be someone else closed off the rest. Stepping out he tiptoed over and took a quick glance inside. 

He sighed relieved when he saw the Potion Master lying in his bed. He was asleep. Taking a deep breath Harry walked over to the bed and sat down on the mattress carefully not wanting to wake the other man.

"I wish, I could give you a simple explanation… but that isn't so…" he whispered as he reached for the others hand and caressed it with his own. "I wish, I could have told you from the start who I was… and now…" he sighed. "I wonder why my life can't ever be easy…" he paused and looked at the calm face of the other. "Or why I seem to care about you and what you think of me…" he added in a whisper.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dumbledore sat with the other students and staff members in the Great Hall eating. Sirius sat at Remus' feet in his Animagus form. All of them had been release by Madam Pomfrey a few hours earlier under the promise to come back if they noticed any changes in them that could have been caused by their trip into the Slytherin's mind. 

The blond boy was still under the medi-witch's care. She had told them that he was awakening every now and then, but that his body needed still time to recover from whatever had happened. So she had transferred the Slytherin into her own room where she could have an eye on him all the time until he awoke.

The only ones remaining in the infirmary were Harry and Snape. Sirius was worried about his godson and for some reason he even felt slightly concerned for the Potion Master, but that was something he was not going to admit loudly.

Just then the doors of the Great Hall opened and Fred and George walked in followed by a tall white hooded figure. Heads turned to them but they ignored the curious glances and murmurs as the twins made their way to the front and stopped in front of the staff table while the white hooded person approached the headmaster.

"We need to speak." The man said in a strong voice that the headmaster recognized immediately. His eyes widened in surprise. "I think it's time we had a long talk…"

Albus nodded in understanding sensing that there was no harm coming from the man for the time being. "In my office, if you like."

The man turned to Fred and George and the twins nodded in agreement. Facing again the headmaster the white hooded man nodded. "Lead the way."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Narcissa sat next to Salazar at the gates to the human world. They had been talking about the current situation in the human world and how it would most likely affect their own live-styles. The greater concern of both of them of course was the imbalance in powers due the lack of a Yorae Dragon in power and the effect this would had on the God half of the Visionary Clan Leader.

 "I understand your concern, Master Salazar, but I can assure you that Master Tom will be able to hold out until Young Master Harry comes into power," she said, glancing over at the tall man.

"Great-Mother, I'm not as much concerned about my great-grandson as I am about his brother's son," Salazar spoke. "The boy will have his First Seasoning coming by now, I believe. Although I'm not entirely sure being a God myself…" 

Narcissa nodded. "According to the records about the Dragon part of the Yorae Clan I think you are right. Then again there is no Yorae Dragon alive anymore to confirm this… only the Gods remain…" she took another glance at him seeing how his expression tensed for a moment before she continued. "The boy will need to have a counter balance to remain in his right mind. To be born as full-fledged Yorae is a great risk not only to us but also for himself. If the boy cannot control the awakening of his powers all of Master Tom's work would have been in vain and there would be no one to do the Ceremony to return the energy to the world at the end…"

"Not only that… But Master Tom would consume the world that we have created and watched grow in fondness…" Salazar sighed. "It would be a devastating blow for all of us, because once he finishes with the humans we will be next."

"Complete Chaos and Annihilation…"

"Yes."

"Then let us hope that the boy finds a strong hold…" Narcissa said in prayer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus found himself in a large building he could recall from one of the missions he had gone with Jathy. Voldemort seemed to have taking a likening on teaming them up. Rubbing with his fingers his nose he followed his floating companion inside not pleased that he would have to relive one of his less enjoyable memories.

Taking a step after another the sounds of tortured souls and agonizing screams became louder and louder. This was one of the smaller wizarding schools he and Jathy had been ordered to clean up from muggle bloods. At first Severus had thought this would end quickly, but he wasn't allowed that pleasure. Jathy had done terrible things that night, things no one should be able to come up with. And yet, the vampire had seemed to enjoy the whole matter. 

A door flung open and Jathy came walking with steady and fast steps towards Severus and the floating man behind him.

"Follow him, Severus." The man told him as the vampire passed them and headed out of the building. 

Taking a quick glance at the door to see himself throwing up in the doorway, Severus headed after Jathy alone. He found the young man leaning outside at the wall of the building his body shivering uncontrollably. Severus rushed over forgetting that this was just a replay of something that had already occurred and reached out only to have his hand pass through the body of the other. Jathy reached for something on his wrist and then suddenly Severus watched as the man's appearance altered. The red hair darkening to black, his pale skin turning a healthier color and the boy seemed to be a little smaller than the vampire. Then Harry Potter broke down in tears sobbing all the horrors he had just committed out.

"God, I can't do this! I don't want this!" the boy muttered reaching up with a hand to hide his face. "I can't continue doing this…" He sobbed. "Someone…. help me… please." He put his arm around himself protectively, rocking himself back and forth slightly after sliding to the ground. "Please…" he begged again and Severus could hear the struggle and suffering in the child he had always thought to be nothing but a copy of his father. But now, he had to realize that Harry Potter wasn't a shadow of the past revived. He was a child trapped by circumstances that he seemed unable to evade.

The image vanished and once again the Potion Master was back in Voldemort's hideout, the hooded man again to his right. 

"What you showed me wasn't my own memory…" Severus said trying to forget the image of Potter curled up crying.

The man remained quite for a while before speaking again: "Come now, there are other things I think you should see to understand…" and with this he landed on the ground leading the way.

Severus sighed. This man was worse than Dumbledore, he didn't tell him anything unless he considered it important for his own plans. He hated that, but since he didn't seem to have a choice in this, he might as well continue witnessing what the stranger wanted him to see.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sirius closed the door after Remus, Minerva and he had been called to meet the headmaster in his office. It apparently had to do with the stranger that Fred and George had appeared with in the Great Hall. He looked at the people sitting already there. The room seemed to be much larger than usual, Sirius looked at Fred and George standing each to one side of the hooded man, their arms on their back like prisoners and yet Sirius had again the feeling to be standing in the presence of someone of great power to whom he owned respect. Minerva and Remus had settled across them and Sirius sat down on the armrest of Remus' seat glancing curiously at the headmaster behind his desk.

"I called you here, because they requested your presence." Albus explained nodding over at the stranger and the twins. "Maybe you should introduce yourselves." He said to the man in white.

"Very well." He pushed himself up from his seat. He seemed to glance at each of them for a short while before reaching up with his hand to reveal his face as he undid his cloak and let it fall to the ground. "I am known as Tom Riddle in your world." The young man said his red slid-pupil eyes glittering with age beyond theirs and knowledge that was not human.

Sirius almost died right there as he recognized the man from Harry's narration of the events of his second year. "Voldemort!!" he shrieked jumping to his feet and standing automatically in front of Remus with a wand ready to attack and to defend his friend.

But at the same time Fred and George had moved with such a speed that while Fred stood protectively before the Dark Lord, George had moved to knock Sirius off his feet pinning him to the ground with the man's own wand before anyone else could react.

"Sirius!" Remus called out not daring to move and yet unable to remain in his seat while friend was being attacked. 

"All of you stop!" Albus said in a strong and authorial voice narrowing his eyes seriously slamming his hand on the desk.

"George." Tom said in a voice that held sway over the red-haired young man, while he nodded to Fred to take his earlier position. "Let him go, I came to talk not to fight."

The Gryffindor release Sirius a bit reluctantly and returned the wand to its owner before joining his brother on Tom's side. Remus helped Sirius up as they glanced up at the Dark Lord and then at the twins in confusion.  

Minerva looked shocked at the scene before her, but she could see in the headmaster's eyes that there was no danger at the moment, and so she relaxed a little into her seat awaiting an explanation on this or Albus would never get another minute of sleep in his life if she didn't end up getting the information she wanted.

Tom sighed and settled back into his chair summoning his cloak to him and hanging it over the armrest. "Look, I'm here because things seem to be getting out of hand and because I believe that you will need all the help you can get once the Yorae's Seasoning starts." He sat pushing his hair behind his long ears. 

"Why should we believe you?" Minerva asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, but I guess the fact that you don't have much choice could be seen as a good argument." Tom said. "George told me you were trapped within Draco's mind and what happened. I was a little earlier in the infirmary and checked on him… and it appears that Drake will awake."

"Wait, could you explain that a little bit better?" Remus asked leaning slightly forward. "I mean, if you are indeed Tom Riddle or Voldemort, why do you look like they did inside Draco Malfoy's mind?" he pointed at the twins. "And what is a Yorae and the Seasoning?"

Tom sighed. "You don't know anything… anything at all?"

"I believe they only know what Draco told them." Fred stated.

The young Dark Lord looked up. "Not much indeed considering what is about to come…" Both red haired shrugged. "Well, you do know that the world was created by the Gods and Dragons?"

They starred blankly at him.

Taking a deep breath Tom raised his hand and something like a 3D hologram of the world formed before them. "This is the world as you know it…" moving again his hand the image changed and the world became transparent letting them see the inside, which was covered by various islands spread within the small earth.  "But this is the world as it truly is…" Tom glanced at them. "What you know is nothing more than a shell of our world. It is what we created to protect ourselves. The islands you can see are like small continents floating within the earth connected by gates to one another. Each of this islands are regions of Clan families." Raising again his hand the image vanished. "That is how the world is…" he paused for a moment giving them enough time to process this information before continuing to explain. "The Gods and Dragons have each different power, which balance the existence of your world, or in other words, our protection shell. The Gods created live on the surface of this shell in order for the world to produce it's own energy through the existence of living beings, while the Dragons gave nature form to assure a source of energy for the living beings that would establish, unknowingly to them, the outer shell of protection for our world. For countless years the Gods and Dragons have watched and tried to let the outer world evolve on its own, yet they have always maintained some sort of contact between the two worlds. You of the magical blood know of the existence of dragons although you are not aware of their true powers, and you also know of the various gods that have existed in the believes and religious cultures through out history.

"Normally the Dragons and the Gods never mend into each other's work. The only time they actually willingly worked together was during the times of the creation of the outer world. It was also during that time that a clan was born from both bloods. This clan is called the Yorae Clan and due the mixed powers of Gods and Dragons in them they have the ability to see the future as well as the past, which is why the Yorae Leader is also the head of all those clans that posses any signs of manipulating time in any way.

"During the time, in which the world was created and life started to evolve, the Gods noticed that those beings they had given life to absorbed a great deal of energy from our world and that they would released it in a form of negative waves which started to destroy the outer and the inner world. It was then, that the Yorae Clan received a vision about a solution to this problem, which is called the Purification Ceremony. The Yorae would absorb that negative energy into himself and through a series of rites return it to the world in positive waves to reuse.

"Yet this brought up a problem, the process of absorbing the energy and returning it to the world caused in the long run for the Yorae to go insane and they would start using their powers against their own clans. It became clear that a pure blood Yorae couldn't handle the duty placed upon him and so a law was established which forbid any Yorae to reproduce with the other clans or their own… The Yorae started to procreate by mating with Gods and soon the clan was divided into Yorae Dragon, clan members that were genetically born dragon, and Yorae Gods, those who were born with the power to absorb the energy but lacked the ability to see the events that would follow. From then it became essential to have a Yorae God _and_ Yorae Dragon in order to be able to perform the Ceremony." Tom took a deep breath and turned to Dumbledore. "You don't happen to have something to drink, do you? My throat is getting dry."

The headmaster nodded slowly calling for a house-elf to bring some drinks, which were delivered shortly after. Tom emptied the glass of water that was handed to him waiting for the others to start asking questions, which he knew would surely come once the information sunk completely into their minds.

"Who are you?" Sirius finally managed looking utterly lost.

Tom smiled sadly. "I am the current Head of the Yorae Clan. I'm the last Yorae God…"

[I'm so very tempted to cut the chapter here…^_^]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The white hooded man stopped at a large door and pushed it opened glancing back to see if Severus was still following him, before proceeding inside. The Potion Master recognized the rooms they entered to be some of the large laboratory in which the Death Eaters created knew potions and other tools for the Dark Lord. He knew this place better than he knew the inside of Hogwarts. He had spent most of his time here when he was younger and he still had his own room for research further in the back. He had created many things here hoping to surpass everyone that had ever had laid a hand on a cauldron, and indeed he had succeeded where others had failed and it had gained him back in the old days great trust in the eyes of the Dark Lord. Nowadays he had no longer the time to participate in the large investigations to which also belonged the one that had caused Potter's sickness. Pretending to be faithful on both side was hard and it took a great amount of his time to play his role perfectly. 

The hooded man walked passed the many tables where people were currently working on their researches and headed up a stairway. Severus continued following, evading contact with anyone. 

Upstairs he found himself in an even larger laboratory; the room was covered with protection spells that had been written in runes on the walls, but no one was working here. He had never seen this room like this, back when he had come up here everyday this had been nothing more than a storage room.

The hooded man waved for him to come over and see over the books and old scrolls that lay open over various tables. He tried to pick it up, but again his hands passed through the material the way it had occurred with Potter earlier. Seeing that he wouldn't be able to pick it up, he leaned closer and recognized the writings as Latin and old Greek. The writings spoke of a terrible sickness that had covered the eastern lands and was slowly spreading their way. It appeared impossible to stop it, no cure could be found. Severus moved slowly on, and the language on the scrolls changed to ancient Chinese even old Japanese. He looked up at the hooded man with wide eyes.

"This is where they-" Severus broke off looking over the tables and catching with his eyes some black boards with the calculations of the ingredients, outlines of the human DNA and various notes on whoever had this had been first researched on and their first results. He walked over quickly seeing that some of his own researches for the antidote were based on the correct assumptions but that his potion was far from being able to stop this virus.

Then the surroundings vanished again and Severus was transferred into the rooms to which Draco Malfoy had led him once and in which he had encountered the vampire asleep. 

 "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Severus grabbed hold of the hooded man's cloak angrily. "You could have let me finish going over those notes!"

"What for? Have you not already created an antidote?" the man asked loosening the Potion Master's grip on him.

"The antidote is far from being perfect according to what I just saw!" Severus snapped.

"That's not my problem." The other answered calmly.

Severus felt the sudden urge to strangle that man. "But it's mine! I could save lives if I could see what the primary causes of the virus are!" 

Just then the door of the room flung open and Draco Malfoy came running in and passed through Severus and continued on through the door on the other side followed closely by the a young blond woman. Severus brought out of his argument with the hooded man starred after them. The door was closed behind him again and he turned to see Harry Potter looking rather pale locking the door through which the others had entered before following after them. This time Severus stepped out of the way and followed curiously but not before glaring at his companion who replied with a simple shrug.

They walked into a dormitory, it's wall covered in bright colors. The woman, Draco and Harry were gathered around a bed holding a young man to the bed. Severus came closer and starred at the young man recognizing him as Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord and he was young. Riddle was gasping for air and a black aura waved uncontrollably out of him. Draco jumped a step back as he was hit by it. His arm started to bleed were the energy had burned him. White liquid streamed out of the wound and it started to shine brightly. Severus watched in disbelieve as the injury healed itself again and Draco approached once more the bed, helping the others to hold Riddle down.

"What happened?" the woman asked trying to hold on to the struggling man.

"He-" Draco broke off as he was kicked back again.

"Draco!" Potter called out.

Severus narrowed his eyes. That wasn't Potter's voice, nor was it Jathy's… He spun around starring at his companion.

"James!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Narcissa bowed before Master Salazar turning to the great gate behind her.

"I will be back tomorrow to hear the council's decision." She said to him as took her hand and kissed it.

"Great-Mother!! Great-Mother Narcissa!!" a young woman came running towards them. She stopped before her and took a deep breath handing her a scroll. "I'm so glad I found you still here. The Speaker of the Council noticed me to hand you this immediately.

She took it and unrolled it reading over the message. Her face paled. "By the great Lords, I must immediately contact my son!"

Salazar read over her shoulder the note. "It has already turn this bad?" he glanced at the young woman who had brought the message.

"The outer shell is falling apart and the Dark is spreading faster than expected." She said nodding affirmatively.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes. "Very well, I will bring the Young Yorae with me by tomorrow." With this she turned and connected her energy to open the gate.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry had been watching the sleeping man for a while now as he heard Madam Pomfrey approach and he quickly moved over to sit on his own bed, but she moved on not stopping by to check on either of them. Harry found this strange but it probably didn't matter anyway.

Suddenly heat started to spread from his chest all over his body. He gasped as he felt the pulsing energy waving through his veins accelerating his heartbeat. His skin started to tickle and his vision became unfocused. He could see his surroundings moving in unnatural manner and Harry had to bend over in order to try to control the rising urge to scream. Yet, he didn't feel pain. It was like the time those hands had wandered over him spreading heat and ecstasy through his body. That wonderful longing and need he had felt growing deep inside him as his body had moved against the other one's. Like the time those black eyes had looked at him as if there was nothing and no one else they wanted to hold and love.  

He felt the tickling on his skin on his back as it healed and his body started to take another form. His wings spread out again, and this time it was like the air was carrying him gently, touching him protectively. It felt like being in the sun and his body was absorbing the warmth into him. He leaned his had back gasping and crying in blissful joy. The feathers of his wings move closer around him while he curled up into a fetal position closing his eyes and sinking into wonderful dreams. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco opened his eyes slowly sensing the sudden surge of energy nearby. It was so very strong and yet he could sense confusion and loneliness in it. Sitting up, he slowly moved his legs over the edge of the bed in which he was lying.  What he felt was familiar and at the same time he could tell that it was different from when he had witnessed it many years ago. Standing up he gathered the sheets around him and walked calmly towards the source. He opened the door of the room and was immediately greeted by bright waves of energy streaming out of one of the separated beds of the infirmary.

He shook slightly his head recalling that he was in Hogwarts and the reason for him being here. The stone floor was cold under his bare feet and he moved a strand of hair behind his ear as he took another step forward. Reaching the closed off bed he pushed the curtains aside. The bright light that streamed out blinded him.

Closing his eyes he changed them to adjust to this light before reopening them. And he gapped at what he saw. Silver Wings had encircled around a body protectively, it seemed like an egg protecting the fetus inside. 

And with growing understanding, Draco realized that the Yorae's Seasoning had started…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN:

So how was it? Did you like it? Well, I certainly hope it makes up for my late update. ^^


	13. Chapter 12

AN: 

Hello everyone, thank you so much for all the reviews, they make me really happy and there are some that even give me some ideas as to what to write in the next chapter, although I have to say that I have the general idea already finished in my head and notebook.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. It took me longer than expected due lots of exams that had me plagued until last week and very little time to use to write on my stories. 

This chapter is NOT betad yet! I don't know whether Lexi has the time to check it up before I go on vacation and since I'll be gone about a month and don't know whether I get the chance to use a comp, I decided to post it the way it is. 

Please forgive all my mistakes, there are more then usual, I mean my friend calls me the coma-eater and that I tend to write the sentences the way I think of them in German. 

So here I present you the NOT BETAD chapter and hope you enjoy it and makes up for the long time it took me to update.

Chapter 12 

_"The Water turned to blood…" the figure on the ground coughed his breath poisoning the air with the illness of death. "Blood of my soul…"_

_"It stopped bleeding…" another figure said steadying his walk by leaning onto the cave's wall. "Or maybe it's a trick of my mind…"_

_ "Scars are being torn open… Will they ever cease to bleed? … " The one covering on the ground asked hoarsely before closing his eyes feeling that the thin cord that held his soul bonded to the flesh of this mortal body was ripping apart. "I think I'm happy…" he whispered barely audible for the other to hear. "I think I'm seeing a light in the darkness of my existence…" the oxygen to his blood was decreasing with every second his lungs denied to work properly. "But all that is left is blackness… eternal darkness…"_

_The one approaching fell to his knees, crawling over as tears streamed down his face and he cried out in loss of a friend... a brother…_

_The dark haired young man stood by the window, his shoulders hanging down not only from the injuries he had received, but also because he was lost. Lost within a war that he had never imagined to witnessed, never thought possible to reach him in the safety of his home._

_"For the first time I could only thinking of nothing else but fear…" he said slowly, not turning around to face his listeners. "The first time I confronted it… It was like those eyes didn't see anything at all… they held no emotion… no life whatsoever."_

_The tall blond woman at the corner lifted her hand to her lips sensing the pain the young man was going through narrating what had occurred to him a few days earlier. One part of her wanted to help and try to comfort him, but her other side, the rational and leader side of her wanted to hear the rest. No… not wanted… Needed to hear the rest to know how to proceed in the battle._

_The young man turned to them, his eyes no longer holding the innocence in which they had shone while in the human world. Those eyes held the age of one who had wandered upon the surface of the earth for more years than any of the people in the room had been alive._

_"It was a mass of darkness…" he passed a hand over his face forcing himself to stay calm and not let the fresh memories get the better of him. "A vengeful… evil spirit… Its whole presence radiated an aura that must surely be older than anyone I have ever encountered… It was like a spirit without will of his own crawling over corpses and spewing his stench of death about." His hand fell to his side as he starred at them with panicked eyes. "I could feel the desire to consume everything, the crave for more blood that festered all within it. And those it controls are empty shells, soulless bodies coming together to do the will of the Lord of Chaos…" he shook his head before looking at the figure standing with a band covering his eyes and forehead. "No matter how you call out, Harry, your voice will never reach him again. There no longer is the man you knew. The only thing left is that thing which can just kill us all without batting an eyelash!"_

_"Death is so much easier to take in the dark…"_

_"Don't say things like that, Severus!"_

_"I don't know what we can possible do now to stop this spreading darkness. You can barely hold it from controlling me, Harry!"_

_"Shh… Don't say more, Sev… Please, just relax for now and let me threat your wounds. Let us think later of a solution…"_

_"Are you saying that because you saw a way out?"_

_"Did _you_ see something?"_

_"…"_

_"Well, neither did I."_

The figure stirred lifting his wings from his body and spreading them like a bird about to fly away.  He moved his head slowly up opening his eyes, which held nothing but a golden color in them. Unfocused, they starred around slowly. He undid his arms from holding his legs pressed to his chest and stretched to a standing position gliding gently down to the ground. Again he closed his eyes for a moment, and as they opened this time they held a slid pupil from, but still in gold. Yet this time he noticed the woman standing before him dressed in an ancient fashion such he could only recall from before the Dark Ages… or was it just yesterday…? Or maybe it was still to happen… He couldn't tell. Time no longer flew in a straight line around him, but he could see millions and more streams of possibilities drowning his vision and pulling him along to witness. Things that had already happened, things that could have happened in another universe, things that were to come and things that were happening just now. 

He shook his head feeling overpowered by these visions unable to tell which was his own reality. Reaching up with his hands to hold his head, he tried to clear his mind, but it was getting too much, his body was starting to panicking filling his veins with adrenaline. He tried to focus but it was all becoming more than he could handle, his mind was about to blank out from the rush of oxygen his lungs were absorbing. It was maddening. He screamed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They were back at the empty and seemingly endless grasslands. The hooded man lifted his hands slowly to his head pushing the fabric aside that had hidden his face up until now, revealing James Potter to Severus. The Potion Master held his breath unable to react, startled by the revelation and yet he had to admit that somehow deep inside he had known all along that the man had been none other than Harry's father.

Unexpectedly he had no sense of anger or fury towards the other as would have been expected, but rather a calming and reassuring peace within the depth of his soul. It felt like accepting something he had tried to neglect for many years. An inner calm that seemed to wash a heavy weight from his shoulders. Like being… whole.

"James…" his voice seemed to taste the sound of the name, flaring curiosity and hundred of questions within Severus head.

The other man did not smile but held a serious expression; something Severus didn't remember having seen too often. He lifted his hand moving it swiftly over his chest and changing his robes to clothing the Potion Master had never seen before, they were strange almost inhuman. Taking a closer look at the man Severus started to see the changes the familiar face was getting through. His features altered, his hair becoming longer and his ears stood out of the black mop, they were long and looked like an elf's. But most amazing of all was the change of his eyes, as the blue changed from a circle form to a slit similar to what Minerva's eyes looked when she was changing to her cat form. And strange signs marked the skin that had become visible on his arms and neck as well as face.

And still Severus was not alarmed, because he had seen this before. Many years ago he had witness this by mere chance. The Potion Master's eyes widened in slow understanding.

"You blocked my memory!" He finally said in shocked surprise. "When there was an explosion in the lab while I worked on…" he paled. "While I worked on the virus…" he starred down at his hands. "I was the one who found the papers and started to work on it. The lab you showed me… that was mine…"

James nodded. "Yes, it was you who started it. And you were a fool to try to master such an old art."

Severus narrowed his eyes angrily. "I didn't try to master it, I wanted to understand it!" he snapped. 

"And what was the price?" the other asked annoyed. "You almost got yourself killed. If I hadn't been around you would have died!"

"But the virus only affects those of half blood." Severus said defensively.

The other rolled his eyes. "Normally, but you were at the experimenting stage which affected even people like you!" You could have killed everyone in the mansion!"

Snape shrugged. "Would have been better than have Voldemort on the rampage. Well, look what happened to you!" he paused raising an eyebrow. "Which brings me to the question… Aren't you dead?"

This time James smiled, the wicked and smut little smile of his. "More or less…" his lips parted to an amused grin. "I can only die when you die Severus, because I bonded my soul to yours in order to create a balance for the Yorae." He shrugged slightly. "Although I must admit, that when I first had the vision about you and my son, I thought for real that he was me. It really freaked me out…"

"Wha…What?!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The dark was rising swiftly and united as a strong front. Through the grounds they blazed their black fires filling the air with malicious laughter and echoes of deaths as it passed. A summon of many coming to join as one. Their power wielding as a shield against their opponents to the front leaving a trail of destruction and foul breath with every step they moved.

"To the west gates!!" the orders rebounded through the ancient building waving out towards their enemy. "Seal the gates!!"

More voices broke out to mix with the battle waving at the front. Spells were fired off of both live and ruin throughout the caves up to the foot of the Sanctuary. The movements became more frantic and faster with every voice that joined in. Corpses went flying over a pile of other dead ones against the walls clearing a path for the ongoing darkness. Ancient Beings held up their hands to join their strength while others raised their staffs to balance their defenses crying out in a voice of power, words that had for a long time gone unspoken upon the face of the earth. But the flaring and uncontrollable darkness creep closer and closer towards the doorways of the building pushing the small front back breaking here and there one of the casters.

Hectic commands to hold the enemy back were starting to become useless, the old beings realized that soon even their strength would be broken and that they would have to bend to the will of the stronger and still growing darkness.

The last thing that was heard echoing though the empty caves was the painful sound of souls vanishing from their bodies building an almost silent crescendo of glee and solace for those who remained upon the world as a warning that the war had finally started.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione walked next to Ron up to the infirmary to visit Harry. For the last days, they knew there had been something going on that Harry was not telling them, and they were going to confront him now.

"You think he told Sirius or Remus what happened to him?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I have no clue. But I really hope he did, because I think he's in something really deep this time that he even won't confine in us."

Ron nodded as they reached the floor where the infirmary was. "And also I think that Malfoy might be involved in this."

"How did you get that idea?" she asked stopping and turning to him.

He stopped his steps as well crossing his arms. "I overheard McGonagall talking to Madam Pomfrey the other day."

She narrowed her eyes accusingly as she moved her hands to rest on her hips. "And it occurs you _now_ to tell me?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I had forgotten it with all the studying you had me doing lately."

She sighed letting her arms fall to the side again; she opened her mouth to say something but stopped at the sight of Madam Pomfrey exiting a room nearby followed closely by Neville. Hurriedly they moved behind a statue to hide. After all the Medi-witch had forbidden them both to go visit Harry until he was feeling better. If she saw them now, she surely would send them back to their dorm.

"And _he_'s here now?" Neville asked taking a quick look around that they were alone.

"Apparently, yes." She said so low that Ron and Hermione were barely able to hear. "I mean you saw Fred and George enter with the Yorae God."

"I have never felt so strange in the presence of anyone but Harry and Master Salazar." Neville said crossing his arms, seeming to age by years with this mere action, even his voice held calm and strength in it that the two hiding Gryffindor's were not used to. 

"You know Salazar Slytherin?" she asked impressed.

"Long story. " he said dismissively. "Anyway, if the Yorae God is here, it means that the prediction of the late Yorae Dragon is coming true after all."

"You mean the war?"

"Partly." He put his finger on his lips in thoughts. "It has been a long time since I was at the Inner World, I don't know how things stand now, but if the urgency the Dragon's see to bring the Yorae God here has anything to say to this, the situation must be really bad."

"Which means that soon, the High Council and the Shaman Circle will be calling all Dragons and Gods back to the Inner World." Her features became sadder. "And to be true I don't want to go there, I was born here, I don't want the humans to deal with this on their own, because in the long run we will also be affected by this. We are all connected, what happens to one race will automatically affect the other. That is the balance on which our worlds are based."

"You know a lot for being only half God." Neville said slowly in curiosity.

"My mother was Ares." She said.

The boy's eyes widened. "The God of War?"

She nodded.

He laughed. "I have to tell you, I was amazed as how your mother managed to pass herself as a man."

She sighed. "Don't ask, just don't ask."

He smiled. "Well, we should get going if we want to talk to the Yorae God while he's here." He said and she nodded.

Hermione and Ron watch them pass in confusion. 

"Herm…" Ron said as they came out of the hideout. "Would you mind explaining me what we just heard?"

"I think I need to go to library…" she said slowly before heading back down the stairs quickly leaving Ron on his own.

"I _really_ hate it when people leave me like this!!" he said after her, hurrying to catch up and forgetting completely why they had come here in the first place.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Drake watched as the Yorae Dragon struggled to remain calm. She knew that his powers were probably too much for him to comprehend and control. So she had awoken the moment Draco had laid eyes on the winged creature. And now here she stood, in her gowns as a Priestess of the Yorae Clan, the tattoo that marked her as such flaring vividly on her bare arm. It was reacting to this boy's energy. 

Extending her arms to her sides spreading her powers to seal the room from the rest of the world, assuring protection not only to the boy himself, but also for the others that might come in unaware of the danger they would be exposed. 

She remember how James had suffered with the visions that plagued him, but unlike his father, the boy held power beyond comprehension to her and that probably meant that the visions must be worse for him to live through. She had heard far too often in the past what it meant for a Pureblood Yorae to awaken to his powers. Back in the Ancient days, they had to wear many controllers to suppress their power, but even then, there had come the time when they had gone mad from the cheer amount of it.

The boy screamed desperately, his nails growing incredible fast, and if he held on to his head like that he would end up hurting himself unnecessarily. He was starting to turn into his full dragon form, and that was something she couldn't allow, his size alone would not fit in the room, and besides that, there was still someone laying closed off next to the boy. 

So she moved closer to him, but he slapped her away onto the ground, scratching her arm with the tattoo causing her white blood to smear her skin. She looked up to see him staring down at her. His golden eyes scared and confused. He probably wasn't even aware she was there. Slowly she gathered back to her feet not taking her eyes from him. And then suddenly with an unimaginable speed he rushed at her smashing her head with his hand against the stone floor again. Her vision turned black and she could feel a pounding wound at the back of her head. Her sight cleared just in time to see him raise his hands to hit back down on her. Getting hold of his arms she struggled against the boy's strength. She starred into those empty golden eyes that narrowed angrily at her without real recognition. 

Summoning the wind around her she send him flying backwards, but he spread his wings and gained his balance quickly again. She saw him now, smiling that smug little way his father used to before practically spitting his energy at her and attacking her physically at the same time. Before she could react she felt the stench of pain on her face as his nails scratched her skin. She stumbled to the ground but she could still see him smile darkly at her.

No this boy was nothing like his father. This boy was beyond control, she needed to stop him in order to perform a spell and help him seal part of his power. 

He moved over to her and she starred in fear up to him. What should she do? She couldn't think of a way out.  The boy raised his closed fist as energy gathered around him to attack her once more. She had to do something, otherwise he would continue rampaging around and there was no one able to stop him.

Suddenly he screamed again and he held his head in his head painfully.

This was her chance. Standing up she reached with her left hand to her tattoo on her right arm and scratched the outline with her nail open while murmuring a spell, her blood started to crawl over her hands gathering and forming into solid material. She tried to fasten the process as the boy stopped screaming and simply stood there gazing into nothing ness.

Drake could feel her heartbeat becoming faster with every second that passed. Just a little more time, a little more.

Then the boy started to walk slowly towards the bed that was still closed off. His golden eyes fixed on the curtains and as he pushed the fabric aside she saw the body of man laying on the bed motionless. He approached it carefully and as he reached out to touch the face, she pulled him back with the wind throwing him hard to the ground. He shook his head confused for a moment, ready to attack her again, but she had finished her seal. And so before the boy could even react, she had pulled the band over his eyes and forehead closing it around his head with another spell. He fell back like a lifeless puppet. For a moment she was worried, but then she saw his chest rise up and down in calm rhythm. She looked down at the band, runes on its border and where one would normally see his scar the same sign she wore as a tattoo hid it. 

She sighed relieved looking up to the figure on the bed. "I hope you know what you're doing James…" she said as she saw the man's energy resonating with the soft energy that radiated still from the boy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Who are you?" Sirius finally managed looking utterly lost.

Tom smiled sadly. "I am the current Head of the Yorae Clan. I'm the last Yorae God…"

The humans starred at him as though he was mad. But before Tom had the chance to keep explaining there was a knock on the door. They all looked at each other surprised to have been interrupted.

"Headmaster?" the voice from outside called, it was Madam Pomfrey. "Can I come in for a moment?"

Albus looked at Tom who nodded as he laid his cloak over again and put his hood over his face once more, while Sirius returned to his Animagus form.

"Yes, Poppy, come in…" Dumbledore said glancing one last time at Tom before turning to face the door.

The door was pushed opened and Madam Pomfrey stepped in followed by Neville Longbottom who closed the door again behind him. 

"How can we help you, Poppy?" Albus asked wondering why the boy was here too.

"Actually Albus, we didn't really come to talk to you." She said before turning to Tom in his seat. "But to you, Master Tom." She said bowing before the hooded man.

The others looked more confused than before if that was even possible, even the Yorae was surprised. 

"You are a…"

"God." Neville finished Tom's sentence. "I bid you greetings Yorae." He said barely nodding his head.

Tom pushed his hood back again and stood slowly up. "You're Thot, the Egyptian God of Writing and Knowledge!" He said surprise. "I remember you from a picture on my great-great- grandfather's desk. You're the one who introduce him to Godric Gryffindor and made them friends!"

Neville smiled amused. "Well, it certainly has been a very long time since anyone has called me by my real name, young Yorae God." He said. "And I didn't make Salazar become friends with Godric… It was Godric who insisted for me to introduce them to one another."

"Wow…" Tom let out an impressed sigh. "I've heard all sort of stories about you, but I never actually thought to meet you! My brother idolized you like crazy when he was little."

Neville raised an eyebrow amused. "Well, I don't know what Salazar told you, but whatever he accused me off, he was just as bad if not worse, young Yorae God."

Tom laughed. "Believe me, I learned that first hand once my brother found out." And extended his hand towards the boy. "And please call me Tom."

Neville met his hand with the back of his own, as it was tradition between Gods. "Master Tom."

"No, just Tom." 

The boy nodded before turning Tom's attention to Madam Pomfrey. "And I believe you already know her."

Tom bowed the same way Neville had to him. "Of course I know Ares' daughter. It's been a long time Poppy."

"Yes, it has Master Tom."

Tom looked from one to the other. "But this isn't a social meeting and you came to see me for a reason risking the knowledge of your true self to be exposed." He said motioning with his hand at the others in the room.

Neville sighed. "Indeed… We came for two reasons. First I sensed a great amount of energy disturbing the balance and also… are the late Yorae Dragon's predictions coming true?"

Tom didn't answer but walked back to his seat and nodding shortly to George to answer for him.

"Master Thot, what you sensed was the start of the war, soon the Council and the Circle will call all, even the Old Clans back to our World." George explained. "You as we know of the laws that forbid us to help the humans… all we can do is warn them."

"But that's not right!!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "If the Outer Shell is harmed beyond repair, as it surely will happen, then it will affect us too!"

"We don't know ourselves how to handle this situation!" Fred snapped. "You think we wouldn't bring this before the High Council and try to convince them otherwise if we knew of a way to stop it?!"

Tom sighed as he listened to Poppy and the twins argue frenetically. 

/While those three argue I have a few more things I have to tell you, just nod if you can all hear me in your heads./ Tom said resting his elbow on the armrest of his armchair and leaning his head on his hand.

The others nodded slowly a little taken back by the intrusion into their minds.

/As I was explaining earlier I am the Yorae God, my job is to absorb the negative waves that you humans produce, in coordination with my twin I would under normal circumstances be able to perform the ritual to purify the energy and return it, but he's dead./ He paused taking a deep breath trying to control the imbalance of power that was starting to spread through him again. /In other words, at the moment the energy keeps on gathering in me and will eventually go out of control./

~So you might burst like a balloon about anytime?~ Sirius asked.

/Sort of…/ and he continued explaining the problem and the circumstance to the war with the Death Eaters.

*Okay, basically what your telling us is that the Yorae that hasn't awakened, is nothing else but a filter for the energy you absorb.* Remus said slowly.

/Yes, and I don't think he will awake in time…/

*Is what Poppy saying the truth, you would leave our world exposed to the danger of that darkness and destruction that will be coming?* Remus asked on. *I mean what kind of creators are you if you let us die without helping or even protecting us?!*

/I will tell you something my mother said once to my father: "There is the light and the darkness, they will battle on for eternity. Such is the way of this world.  Because of that I will never agree with you or any of your people for that matter. It's simply an impossibility that we could work together..."/

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Someone was caressing his hair gently; they held him comforting like a mother a child. He opened his eyes but there was nothing he could see but darkness. His heart made an alarmed jump but his mind provided him with a rational explanation, maybe the room was simply dark as well, and that's why he couldn't see anything. He pushed slowly away from the one holding him, feeling the warmth of the arms leave him. He reached slowly out for his wand but he couldn't find it. 

"Harry?"

He turned his head to the source of voice next to him. It was a woman, a voice he had heard before. "Draco?" he asked slowly.

"Drake…" she answered.

"Why is it so dark?" he asked as he tried to call out for his wand, but nothing happened. This was starting to make him uncomfortable. Not only couldn't he see, but he appeared to be without magic as well. It made him vulnerable.

"You have to activate the sign on the band on your eyes to see without releasing your powers." She explained as she took his hand and leaded it up to his face.

His finger came in contact with a fabric he had never before touched it was strange, like nothing he had ever come across. He could feel the slight irregularities on the surface as though something had been stitched on it. And between his eyes up to his forehead seemed to be a larger mark.

"Try to will it to let you see." The woman said calmly.

Harry closed his eyes although he wasn't sure what for, he couldn't see more or less with opened ones. Concentrating he thought of wanting to see what was around him, he felt unwell in the dark. And as he re-opened them he saw his vision clearing, it was as though seeing through glasses.

He turned to look at the woman next to him and gasped at the sight of her. She was identical to Draco, except for the fact that she was… female.

"I'm Draco's twin." She explained as she smiled softly. 

Harry blinked.

_"Hoe!" the boy waved leaning over the balcony at the man in the garden. "Hoe!!"_

_The blond young man looked up annoyed. "What do you want? Who the hell are you anyway?"_

_The boy grinned. "Well, aren't you the strange one?"_

_The blond raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean, you're the one tangling after me since I entered the city walls."_

_"He's just annoyed that all." Said another voice coming from one of the trees near the balcony. "That's the only reason he has been following you around. You're a new face and he's just excited."_

_The blond turned to the one in the tree, he looked a lot like the on the balcony. "Twins?… Are you dragon leaders?"_

_The one on the tree burst into laughter. "Maybe."_

_The blond straightened his shoulder. "I'm Draco of the Wind Clan. I was told that I could meet the Yorae Dragon if I came here. Could you tell me where to find him or her?"_

_The two dark haired one laughed out in unison. "You came all the way here and you don't even know to whom you're supposed to talk to?" the one on the balcony asked amused. His smile was rather unnerving._

Draco sighed seeing that he wasn't going to get out a straight answer of either two. "Could you at least tell me where the Chronos' Sanctuary is?" 

_The boy on the balcony jumped over the fence and landed gracefully on the ground, his brother joining him. They looked curiously at each other before turning to Draco._

_"Only the Yorae and their priests and priestess are allowed there." Said the one with blue eyes._

_"And you don't bear any sign to be either one." Finished the ruby eyed one smiling like his brother. "Why would you want to go there?"_

_This time the blond smiled and passed a hand over his face revealing signs and marks that reached over his neck down to his shoulders. "I think I have the right to go and also, my sister is there."_

_"Oi, oi…" The ruby eyed one let out an impressed whistle. "If that isn't the High Councilor."_

_"Hoe…" his brother nodded while putting an arm over his shoulder. "But look there, he's the Wind Leader as well."_

_The two grinned. "The Sanctuary is the building at the end of town, big place, can't miss it." They said together before laughing and running amused away._

_Draco sighed, those children would make very bad leaders, and they even didn't wear their Clan signs._

Harry blinked again unsure of what he had just seen, before another vision washed over him.

_Draco sighed relived as his sister came towards him. She hugged him to her._

_"It's good to see you're doing fine, Drake." He said._

_"Well, more or less." She said sighing._

_He raised curiously an eyebrow. _

_She rolled her eyes. "I'm becoming a Yorae priestess and I can't stand the Yorae Dragon, I don't think that's a good qualification."_

_He laughed. "The Yorae can't be that bad."_

_"Worse!" she exclaimed as they made their way through the sanctuary grounds. "He's damned annoying, an ego-maniac and he's got nothing but trouble in his head and the fact that Master Salazar allows him to do as he wants is even more bothersome." She said annoyed. "And his brother is just as bad! Although, one can have a more or less rational conversation with him than with Master James." She gave the 'master' a mockery tone. "He's such… such…" she thought for a moment for the right words._

_"Drake calm down." Draco said. "You shouldn't talk like that about the Yorae, especially here." He said looking around that no one had heard them._

_Suddenly there was a scream from many voices and than angry calls from one of the buildings. Then two figures came running out, laughing their soul's out._

_"You two!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!!" priests called after them, but the two boys just stuck their tongues out, running of to their direction grinning and laughing amused._

_Draco recognized them immediately from earlier. He raised his hands and caught them with a wind spell restraining them._

_"HEY!!" the blued eyed one called out angrily. "Let go of us!!" he said narrowing his eyes at them while his brother struggled to free himself._

_"Draco." Drake tried to stop her brother, but he walked forward as the priests came rushing towards them as well. _

_"You two! What are you doing here!" he said angrily. "Don't you know this is holy ground!"_

_"LET US GO!!" the blued eyed one cried out before throwing his head back. _

_His brother stopped his move starring at his twin. The blue eyes starred shocked up at the sky, his breathing was becoming ragged, and he appeared to over ventilate any moment. The blued eyed boy let out an alarmed scream._

_"DRACO!!" Drake called out alarm. "Let go of them!!"_

_"But…" _

_Suddenly the boy spread his wings breaking the High Councilor's spell, his eyes had turned golden and he exposed his fangs angrily. He gathered his energy around his body to attack. The priest stood in front of Draco and Drake raising their hands and staffs creating a shield to protect them. Then suddenly, his brother holding desperately on to him, threw the boy to the ground._

_"James!! Calm down, I'm here!!" said the ruby eyed one. "It's me Tom, please, James listen to me. Everything is fine, what you're seeing is not real, nothing of it is real!"_

James slumped against his brother's body holding on to the other, trembling all over. "There will come a time for war…" he said loud enough for the others to hear. "May there be gods and dragons… For the world to see and witness…to guide us in to future and show us what lays ahead…for their power to help us in need…to answer our prayers when we are lost…May there be gods and dragons… For us to become… And so the chants will go on and on breaking trough the silence of the world calling out onto those of power to shine and catch them in their brightness and change the way of the world, whether for the better or the worst..." with this he fell into a restless sleep.

_The priest rushed over to the two of them while Draco remained unable to move next to Drake._

_"Talking about doing bad things on holy ground, brother." Drake said slowly as they watched the men take the two boys with them into one of the buildings. "One shouldn't attack the Yorae Dragon, no matter how much you want it, and especially not when he's going through his Seasoning."_

Harry looked up at Drake. "You knew my father." He said as a matter of fact. "You're a…"

"Priestess?" she asked before nodding and pointing at the sign on her arm. "Yes, troublesome job if you ask me." She smiled gently at him. "But tell me, Harry, how are you feeling now?"

"Besides confused as to why you're here and the fact that I feel nervous as though something was calling out for me and I couldn't hear it. I think alright." He said passing a hand over his hair. "What happened anyway?"

"You're powers awoke and what your sensing is your energy resonating to his." She pointed over to the bed where the Potion Master lay. "Your body and his are adjusting slowly to meet the conditions as to make him your mate and equal partner."

"What?!" Harry exclaimed.

She smiled warmly and kissed his forehead. "You appear to have chosen him as your balance, so his body is being adjusted by the power of the last Yorae that rests in him, and your body will soon start to change as well, more than it has already."

"Are you telling me that my Seasoning started and that I choose SNAPE of all people?!"

She nodded.

He threw his hands up in the air. "Great! If it hadn't been already bad enough that I slept with him!!" 

Drake blinked. "What?"

He smiled nervously. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Hell, yes you did!" Draco reappeared.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They were sitting next to each other on the grass now in silence after James had finished explaining to Severus that he was chosen to be the balance point of the new Yorae Dragon.

"So you knew all this was going to happen?" Severus finally managed to ask.

James nodded. "Not everything of course, my powers aren't as great as the now awakening Yorae Dragon. Although I did see that he would decide for you to strengthen his control of his powers and that my brother was to become Voldemort."

Severus led himself fall back onto the grass moving his arm over his eyes while letting out a deep sigh. "All this… it's rather confusing, but…" he wasn't sure how to explain what he felt.

"You feel as though you knew all this already and you're confused by the fact that it all doesn't seem to bother you the way it would have had our conversation occurred a few days earlier." James said looking down at him. 

Severus lowered his arm from his eyes and moved them to rest at the figure of the person he always thought to hate, but to whom he could only associate a calm understanding and thankfulness now. "Yes, exactly!"

James lowered himself onto the grass as well. "Well, that's because my energy is fusing with yours." He said. "When I started to have visions about what was to come it became clear to me, the moment I first met you, that you were the boy that would become the man I had seen at the side of the Yorae. You would not only become his strength and balance but also his friend and lover, in other words, the person that he needed." James turned his head to face him. "That was also the reason I was furious at Sirius when he almost got you killed and the moment I took the chance to link my energy to yours without telling my family." He grinned sheepishly. "You wouldn't guess how many laws I broke by doing just that." he laughed. "So you see for almost more than twenty years your body had been receiving as well as keeping my energy.  But I also transferred my whole being onto you to melt with you and give you the powers I used to have when I died." He looked back to the blue sky. "I knew you wouldn't be able to handle all at once and therefore I sealed some of your memories waiting for this day to come, when you would finally become more or less one with me and be able to understand this gift I'm offering."

"So you're telling me that I feel like I don't care because subconsciously I already had twenty years to adjust to the whole idea of becoming James Potter?" the Potion Master glared at him pushing himself into a sitting position. "And you call that a gift?" He scowled. "You make it sound as though I had any saying in this, as though I could choose not to help! But you also said I'm already becoming you, which means that whatever I decide you could simply overrule my choice and make me do what you want and think is best!!!" Severus shook his head angry. "I wouldn't call that an offering…"

James shook his head taking a deep breath before locking his eyes with the black ones of the Potion Master. "No Severus, you won't become me…" he paused turning his head away evading his stare. "I will become you." He said slowly. "My memories will become yours, my thought will be yours from now on and my strength will be yours as well, only my emotions will become something that will be unique to me and will be nothing more to you than a far away echo of something long forgotten." He smiled sadly. "In the end I will be really dead."

"One only can be really dead if one is forgotten by the people who we loved in life." Severus replied quietly not sure why he felt the need to speak his thought out loud. "Only then you can call yourself as part of the other life."

James gave him a weak smile and they remained in silence after that for another long time and it was again the Potion Master who spoke first. "Why did you show me that?" he asked narrowing his eyes.

James turned puzzled to him "What do you mean?"

Severus snorted "Potter, of course…"

James sat up. "Do you still not understand? He's my son, therefore the next Yorae…" Black eyes starred at him as though he had gone nuts. "I mean, you must have realized by now, with all you saw and the things I showed you, that Harry is the Yorae Dragon…"

Severus glared icily at him and his lips pressed together to a thing line.

James sighed. "Let me tell you something, Severus. Something about that child you seem to hate and who irritates you so much." The man said standing up slowly and releasing his wings, which caressed over Severus as he took off the ground lightly remaining a few inches in the air.

"You seem to believe that the boy choose his path…" the voice was starting to turn distant. "And to be true he seems to believe this himself as well. But that is not the truth." The man turned to look down at him. "You and him share the same path that the Gods and Dragons' have set out for you. You may struggle against it, but at the end, that is the only path you can take if you wish to remain alive." The man extended his hand to help Severus to his feet. "He choose the path he walks upon in the believe that by doing so, he may be able to help out more. The boy is aware of the danger he's putting himself into but has he ever, I ask you, has he ever willingly thrown himself into it if there was any other way out?"

Severus opened his mouth to comment but he realized that what the other said was the truth as the image of James started to vanish before his eyes.

The winged one smiled and came closer resting his hands on Severus shoulder. "I guess my energy is finally starting to leave me…" the voice was nothing more than a far away sound. "I wish we could have had met under different circumstances again…" he grinned the way he used to when they had been children before embracing him. "Good luck…"

Although startled by the other's action, Severus returned the gesture.

"Goodbye."

And James disappeared in his embrace and his arms fell onto his chest. Now he truly would never return and Severus remained alone in the darkness of his of mind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She entered the school ground barely able to hold herself on her feet. The ambush at the Londoner Gate had been a hard battle and only few had managed it out alive. Her arm had been badly injured and her blood was not healing the wound the way it should.  Her skin seemed to burn and she was covered in dirt from when the cave had collapse on them and given them the chance to flee from the dark. Thankfully they had managed to close off the gate in time before they took complete control of the underground sanctuary. 

Tears mixed with the mud on her face and she smeared her sleeves as she tried to clean her cheeks. The dark had send his puppets and she felt a pain in her chest as she remembered that many of those that had been in the battle she had known personally for a long time now. But most of all there was one person's loss that was tearing at her heart, for she herself had been forced to take his life in exchange for her own and the promise to return with Yorae.

And unsteadily she moved up the stairs to the entrance, her eyes wanting nothing but to fall close and her body to rest, but her will to warn her son was driving her on.

She pushed the door open and stumbled into the empty Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. "Is anyone here?" she called out, knowing that she hadn't much strength left.

Nobody answered for a while but then a ghost came closer to her from under the ground. She could barely make out his face. "Nick…" she called out as the Gryffindor House ghost rushed to get her help. "Please… bring this to … the …" she took a deep breath reaching for something in her pocket. "To the Weasley twins…" she handed him a large parchment before collapsing on the cold ground. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus opened slowly his eyes, looking up at the ceiling of the infirmary. He sat up carefully focusing on his surroundings; his body ached although his mind was as clear as it never had been before. His senses seemed suddenly have gotten better and he could feel an incredible amount of magic flowing through his veins.

He pushed his feet over the border of the bed and got up to his feet. He let out a wince of pain as he noticed that somehow he seemed to have grown and his knees hurt or maybe those beds had always been this low. He shook his head and looked around, but the room was empty, not even Poppy was there.

"Hello!" he called out but no reply came.

Everything seemed unnatural vivid and the castle was vibrating and shining in different colors. It was as though the magic around him reflected the light in different spectrums to him. He walked over to the office passing something that reflected his image which he caught sight of from the corner of his eye. He turned slowly to the mirror and froze at the sight of what he saw.

Blue eyes starred in surprise at him, his hair ruffled and they were just a little curled at the ends, but the strangest thing of all was his skin, it was sunburned, no longer did it hold the paled undead charisma he was known to have.

Severus reached up to his face shocked. This wasn't him! No, this was some cruel joke! He wasn't James Potter!! He couldn't be!! He couldn't… just couldn't…

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AN:

Before I forget, Anna has done some wonderful new fanart to this story and you can find the link to her page on my profile. You might wanna see it, and hopefully I can soon find a scanner to add my own art…

Also, I hope the chapter wasn't as confusing as I originally wanted it to be. Well, please let me know if you liked it or not, yes^^.

Shayla


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N:**

Okay people, first off, I'M SORRY FOR THIS HORRIBLY LATE UPDATE!!!

I know it's been a year, and it wasn't that I had forgotten to update, but that I had lots of other fics to update before this one. For all those who thought I had dropped it I want to say clearly: I don't drop off Fanfics half-way through, it may take me the hell of a lot of time to update, but I don't quit them once I have started to write them down on my comp.

As much as I would like to say that this is a wonderful long update, but it isn't and it ISN'T BETAD either!! I do have over 20 fanfics that I have to update and I still have to work and study.

I apologize again for making you wait so long.

Enjoy.

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**Chapter 13**

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Tom shuddered as a wave of energy suddenly hit his senses. He raised his hand up and got up to his feet catching everyone's attention with this. Neville narrowed his eyes slowly starting to feel what Tom was sensing.

"The Yorae…" The Gryffindor spoke. "He is awakening…" His head spun about to glance at Tom. "But I can feel another presence similar to that… Power coming together and dissipating at the same time…"

Tom forced a smile up to his lips. "It's time for me to leave then…" He bit down on his lower lip as his eyes shone brightly with uprising tears. "James…" He opened his mouth as his body started to trembled realizing now with complete understanding what it was his brother had done.  "He… He won't come back to me…" He closed his eyes as he felt his brother's energy disappearing again forming and coming together as a new one. One that did not belong to either Dragon or God… it was human. "He chose his path." Bitterness formed in the back of his throat as the darkness started to leak out of his control. The pain in his chest, at the realization that he would have to continue alone, flared in his eyes and the tremble of his body would soon be recognizable as the loosening control of the darkness. "And I have to walk upon mine." He made his way to the door and reached for the handle before glancing once back at them and smiling one last time as long as he could. "From here on were are truly on different sides." And he stepped out of the room before either Fred or George had a chance to go after him.

"T… Tom!" Fred hurried to the door and swung it open only to come to a halt as he walked through Nearly-Headless Nick. For a moment he looked surprised and tried to continue his way but the House ghost called him back.

"What?!" Fred asked irritated seeing his brother coming closer as well.

"There is a injured Lady at the entrance hall who asked me to give you this." Nick said handing the scroll to Fred, before bowing slightly and leaving through the floor.

Fred unrolled the paper annoyed at being stopped from going after Tom and let his eyes wander quickly over the message. Then angrily he let it flare up in flames in his hand before slamming his closed fist against the doorframe. "We've been ordered back… all of us…" He looked back at Neville. "Including you."

George narrowed his eyes in curiosity at his brother's outburst of anger.

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Draco pushed through the crowd of students at the Entrance Gate curious as to what this uproar was. Harry followed in a fair distant. He was a little afraid of Draco at the moment to be honest. The other had obviously been displeased at Harry's confession and the fact that he had not confined in his mentor but rather in Tom. Not to mention that Harry had risked the exposure of all of the Dragons present at Hogwarts by using magic that was not human.

"What happened?" Draco asked a student as he tried to jump up and see the reason for the commotion.

"A woman is laying badly injured at the entrance. Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch are currently tending to her." Explained a Ravenclaw. "And also they can't find Madam Pomfrey so they send someone to check upon the Headmaster."

Harry shrugged as Draco turned to him in question.

"Draco!!" Goyle called him.

The blond trotted over to his classmate. "What?!" he asked faking irritation.

"The woman, that's your mom!" the other exclaimed.

Pale eyes widened and Harry saw Draco turn alarmed around pushing the students aside. "MOM!!"  Harry heard him call out.

The crowd parted for the Slytherin. Harry wasn't sure whether to follow or not, but he had the feeling that by the way he looked right now he should refrain from having too much contact with the other students. Although his appearance was more or less that of a human, his ears were still pointy. Not to forget that he was currently running around with a band before his eyes with the mark of the Dragons on it. Surely someone would notice and ask about it, and he truly had enough trouble already with Draco being angry with him and Snape knowing that he was Voldemort's assistant.

Harry decided that even though he was worried about Draco's mom, he should go search for the twins to let them know he had awoken.

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Severus thought he had heard himself scream. The fact that his throat hurt probably meant that he had indeed done so. The fact that his hand was bleeding and had shards stinking out of the flesh explained what had happened to the mirror.

As the rational man he was, he could clearly see that he had just snapped into madness, because from the moment, when he realized that the face starring at him was his as well as James Potter, to where he stood shaking with an injured hand gazing down at the bright shards on the ground, he could remember just  a blank moment of sheer fear.

He stumbled against the opposite wall closing his eyes trying to regain his sanity from the obvious loss he was in. Seconds ago everything had seemed in control, new but at his will. And now he was shivering with adrenaline pumping like crazy through him causing him to feel disorientated lost. And the feeling of loneliness was insupportable, almost suffocating.

Where was the other him, the one that could help him control this? Why wasn't he here?

"TOM!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs out in desperation.

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Harry froze in mid-step as he was about to retreat from the crowd at the entrance hall. Someone was calling him… no… it wasn't calling him…

Suddenly the dragon eye's mark on the band over his eyes started shine brightly as it opened up and gave sight to a slit pupil mark.

_Severus screamed. His face was contorted with tension as he continued to cry out for help. Harry stood there watching unable to understand what was going on, less alone why he was back at the infirmary_

_"Professor?" he called out, but the man did not hear him._

_Something ached in his chest as Harry called out for the man again, but was ignored once more. He watched as the Potion Master grabbed with a bleeding hand up to his hair and pulled at it._

_Harry ran over and reached alarmed out and as he came in contact with the other everything changed. From a moment to another the image of Severus Snape vanished and Harry found himself starring straight at a reflection of himself, just much older._

_No…_

_That wasn't himself._

_Harry didn't have blue eyes…_

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Tom wanted to return as he heard the call of his brother's energy. But he couldn't. He had already lost control of the darkness and it was consuming him rapidly. It was a wonder to him that he could still maintain some process of thoughts, he knew that what little sanity he retained would soon be lost. And when that happened he had to be as far away from Hogwarts as possible to allow the others to flee.

Taking his wand out he apparated to the Death Eater hideout, but what he saw was not what he had expected.

This was a battlefield and he was standing in the mists of dead corpses stanching with the dark and foul energy that evaporated from their Dark Marks.

Tom closed his eyes unable to hold the tears that escape his eyes back any longer. The war had stared and he could do no more than watch, because from this point on he would be leading it.

And as he realized this the darkness erupted as a pillar of black light from him. It consumed the light and swallowed all that stood in its way.

Red eyes starred empty to the east. It could sense from here the one that held the secret to its destruction.

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_Harry starred up at the man before him._

_That was him but yet not and yet Harry knew that it was Severus and yet not him, but his father and at the same time he was neither._

_He reached up to the face to let his fingers wander over the darker flesh. He wanted to touch the marks on the others face but stopped when he realized that even though the eyes were looking straight back at him, the man wasn't really aware of his presence._

_He turned curious at what distracted the man from Harry. And as he did so the darkness swallowed him leaving him standing in an empty and colorless world. _

_Confused he glanced at the new man standing with his back to him. Harry narrowed his eyes and tried to move closer to the stranger. To his surprise he found himself unable to advance from where he stood._

_The man before him turned and Harry gapped in rising understanding that the one facing him was no one else but Tom Marvolo Riddle. _

_Empty eyes glanced back at him as Tom raised his hands and a black energy started to emanate from them towards Harry's form. Unable to resist Harry found his body drawn forward, his consciousness leaving him as he walked hypnotized towards the Dark Lord. His iris started to shine in crimson colors as the energy slithered around his defenseless body and crawled up to swallow him as it had done with so many others._

_Somewhere in his subconscious Harry understood that he needed to fight back but his magic was no longer at his will._

_Suddenly Harry felt a strong and forceful pull backwards as arms came from behind him covering him protective._

_"Don't loose…" Severus said raising Harry's hand with his own. "Not now that we have awoken… not now…"_

_Energy exploded from within Harry at those words and the lighting bolt scar on his forehead burned fiercely clearing his mind from the darkness._

_With an angry scream Harry spoke in ancient languages long forgotten to human kind calling forth upon the powers resting within the one holding him and mixed them with his own. _

_Darkness stood strongly its will against the forming light until suddenly Harry opened his arms and pulled it into him, forcing it to change to its pure origin._

The dragon's eye on Harry's band shone golden as the Yorea Dragon's energy exploded from the small body ripping the fabric to shreds. Shivering and letting waves of energy out of him, Harry screamed as the darkness passed his body and forced its way through him. Someone in his head spoke and he repeated the words sensing the energy filtering itself in him clean. Until it retreated in a sudden rush out of him, causing him to fall down to his knees breathing heavily from exhaustion.

He looked up slowly to see familiar face starring in horror and fear at him.

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Sirius wasn't sure what exactly happened that cause the twins to suddenly run out alarmed of Albus office. They had been standing a moment ago speaking to the Longbottom boy and Poppy and next they had all stopped moving abruptly and without warning that it appeared to Sirius that time had stopped itself. Then their heads had all turned into the same direction before the twins had rushed out.

"What happened?" Remus asked confused.

Poppy turned to him. "I'm not sure…" she said slowly. "But I think we should head down to the entrance hall."

Neville nodded. "Let's go."

Frustrated that he hadn't gotten an explanation Sirius headed with the others down. The closer he got the more uncomfortable he felt. It was the same feeling he had had while standing before the dragons in Malfoy's head. It was the omnipotent presence of a being of power. He felt the end of his hair charging itself with the magic that hung in the air. It was almost intoxicating as well as incredible exiting.

The magic became stronger with every step they took and it was becoming almost insupportable to stand its presence. His own senses were reacting irritated to the amount of magical energy that waved through the castle and he could see that the others were having the same problem as him.

Remus for example was growling unconsciously trying to resist the energy fogging his senses to an extend that he was completely disorientated. The headmaster was holding on to Minerva to steady himself and the others' hair stood like electrified from their heads.

If the situation weren't this uncomfortable, Sirius would have found all this rather amusing.

They finally reached the entrance hall and stopped at the top of the stairs.

He starred at the sight below them.

A figure was standing with his back to them. His ears were so pointy and long that Sirius was able to make them out from this distance. Waves of energy streamed out of him as he floated in mid air, wings spread from his back as the stranger let an inhuman sound escape his throat. The body was shivering, Sirius could see the skin flash in silver and gold as the fingers started to grow. It was as horrifying as watching Remus transform.

He forced his eyes away from the winged creature to the other people in the hall below. They were crouched against the exit on the ground gapping and starring as Sirius was doing himself. At the front knelt a beautiful woman in a white gown with blond hair holding another woman in her arms. She held her arms up shielding the people behind her from the energy washing out of the winged one.

Her hair waved around her dramatically as she shouted words that Sirius couldn't understand.

Wind seemed to form around the winged creature forcing him to the ground.

And suddenly everything stopped.

It was like when one is being held down in the water trying to snap for air but to no success, until one is pulled out and feels adrenaline washing through your body. Live returns to the dying body and you feel traumatized as well as relieved.

The winged one looked up. And slowly he turned to look up to them.

Sirius felt the life being sucked out of him at the face glancing scared up to them. It couldn't be…

"Harry…"

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TBC in Chapter 14 

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**A/N: **

I know its short, but please bear with me. I try to update as soon as I can again, but I do have another fic I have to write on first that hasn't been update in a year as well. (it's the last chapter and I can get myself to write it convincingly in Sirius POV)

Also I know that there were a lot of POV changes in this chapter. I don't know if it was good or not, but I thought that it was the best way to handle the things that happened almost at the same time at different parts of the castle.

Well let me know what you think.

Ya ne


	15. Chapter 14

**AN:**

Hi, everybody. Yes, I'm still alive; I haven't been eaten by anything slimy or such. I haven't dropped this story either, and even if I don't update frequently, I'm going to see keep writing.

I know I hadn't updated in like forever, but I had gotten into a disinterest period in which I didn't know what to write or even gotten into the mood to sit down and work on my stories.

Some of you had written to me that they would like to beta the story. I was very happy about such offers, but since I was in a slump I didn't contact anyone. I'm terribly sorry. bows ruefully

So the story still remains in its un-betad version, but if anyone is still interested in the job, be my guest.

Well enjoy

**Chapter 14**

Severus ran.

Ran as fast as his feet would take him.

Turned here and there, going lower and lower until he would reach the first floor.

He had to be faster.

_Harry slumped down in a chair, tears streaming down his eyes uncontrollably while he was shivering and trembling, but not from the cold. He didn't want to cause pain to anyone; he didn't want to play the strong one for others because he wasn't. He didn't want to be a Death Eater. But there was nothing he could do against it._

"_Can't they see I'm but a child!" he cried out desperately as he hid his face in his hands sobbing so much that it seemed he was trying to wash out his soul with this mere action. "I can't do this! I'm not strong enough…" His cry quieting into whisper as he continued to voice out his pain. "I can't do this…"_

_A large snake slithered towards him and licked his hand while lifting its body to tower up over the boy. Harry lowered his hands slowly and his green eyes looked blurry at it._

"_Ne, Nagini…" he spoke. "How do the others do this? How does Tom manage to pull through this everyday?"_

_The snake answered, it's hissing sounds long and calming._

"_I don't want him to hate me…"_

_The snake slithered around him and nuzzled his head hissing a question._

"_Snape…" _

Severus shook his head clearing his mind from the invading visions that were nagging at him to notice them. There were more important matters that needed his attention right now. The boy was calling out for him in panic, not in words, and Severus could sense the fear as though it were his own, it was expanding from his chest to every part of his body, causing the powers within to stir up in order to protect him.

Willing the magic to remain at bay, Severus just hoped he would make it in time.

After he had somehow managed to get back to his sense, he had found himself standing with a pointing hand against the wall. He had been holding his other arm as though he had been embracing someone. At first he hadn't understood what exactly had happened, but then slowly the events started to come back to him and he remember Harry…God, when had he started to forget that the boy was Potter? … He remembered the look on the boy's face as he starred concerned up to him, but at the moment all Severus had cared for had been Riddle.

James' brother… Severus new other half…

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Sirius starred horrified at the creature at the bottom of the stairs.

Wide green eyes looked frightened up back to him, while crouching fearfully back from the stair. The slit eyes were locked upon Sirius.

On no one else but him…

They starred and starred at one another, until Sirius couldn't stand the sight of the pale skin, the wings hanging like a dead bird's behind the crouching figure and the insupportable need of comfort that was visible in the creature's eyes.

That things wasn't Harry…

It would never be Harry…

It couldn't be Harry…

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Severus heard the voice in his head crying desperately for someone not to look at him. He wanted to shut the voice out of his mind since it was confusing his own emotions, but he had not choice but to keep listening. The fearful cry continued as a powerful wave of magic flooded though the castle.

"Damn that boy!" he cursed as he took three stair steps at the time trying to shorten the distance faster between him and Harry while feeling like he was drowning in a maddening urgency for comfort that wallowed inside of him.

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He was being rejected… again rejected. It was that look in their eyes that tried to suffocate him.

Hated, out of place, disappointed and ashamed of his existence

"_You're worthless…"_ a voice echoed dull in his mind"_You see how they turn from you…"_

Sirius's eyes were wide and fearful. Afraid of him, of what he was, just like everyone else in his life!

"_They don't know how it really feels to be an outsider…"_

No they didn't, they couldn't.

"_Human's fear what they cannot comprehend…They will destroy you as they do with everything that does not fit into their treacherous little minds."_

He didn't want to die! Not yet! NO!

He looked around to the others.

They wouldn't really hurt him… would they? They were his friends…

"_But they have hurt you before, isn't it so?"_

He trembled as visions of events washed over him.

Fights, disagreements, loneliness…

Suddenly he could see someone trying to attack him from behind.

"_Give in…you can already feel their powers merging to attack you… Fight them!"_

He cried out angry at the betrayal.

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The boy howled, the sound causing the air in the room to tense further. Drake knelt with raised arms creating a shield for her and the students behind her. She could see that George was doing the same to protect the people near him from the leaking waves of magic that exploded from the Yorae.

The boy had completely lost control of himself, the limiter that she had earlier created to control him had long ago been broken allowing the madness of time to flood Harry's mind causing a reaction that soon would have him go completely out of his mind.

Snapping his head around to face the people around him, Harry's golden eyes fixed in disorientation and fear at them. Drake frowned as another wave of magic hit her shield and it trembled against the power. There was a high chance that the Yorae wasn't even aware of their presence, but that their magical energy irritated and scared him, which caused him to self-protect, meaning: attack first. If such was the case, then the problem would be even worse to start with, because every person in this castle wielded magical power, which would be even more threatening to the dragon and could lead to Harry calling forth powers that he neither could control nor could they defend themselves from.

The wings on Harry's back spread behind him as the boy crouched slightly forward uncrossing his arms and exposing his claws. Drake could see him weighting out where best to attack and from whom it would be easier to defend. The chances were sixty to forty that he would turn to her since she was standing as dragon alone, while on the other side there were dragons _and_ gods to be considered as a danger. Still Drake had almost a complete student body behind her, which might equivalent the energy of the others at the stair if summed up together. On the other hand, should the boy attack her first, the others could try to stop him. Which wasn't good either since none of them new how to really counter Yorae magic.

Harry growled loudly and Drake could sense the fear that rose from the children behind her, the terror that the Yorae could probably smell as well. Her side was definitely weaker and the Yorae agreed as he jumped rapidly up and headed towards the stair, turning his back to her.

The boy hit with full body against George's shield causing it to flicker lightly definitely having caught the other by surprise. Immediately his brother raised his hands and aided him.

Words of power were spoken, and more magic was called forth.

Those idiots, they would only cause the Yorae to feel more in danger and react in an uncontrollable manner.

"Stop! Don't attack him!" she called out, but her words never made it across the room.

Neville raised his hands and send a ray of energy against Harry.

Evading it easily, the Yorae cried out in anger while energy gathered around him. His hair was charging with electricity giving him an even wilder look than he already had. He jumped up the railing and ran it up as though it were nothing more than a normal path before slamming himself against the twins shield again and clinging with his claws onto the energy wall.

"Don't!" Drake called desperately out as she tried to move without lowering her arms from keeping the shield up and without hurting her mother on her lap.

But again her cry was not heard, Neville called out again with power trying to push Harry from the shield, but to little success. The boy protected his body with his wings, narrowing his eyes when he jumped back in the air.

Those fools! Without his limiter, Harry was becoming more and more one with Time itself, which meant he would know how they would attack, and worst of all, he would know of all the choices he could take in order to attack them in return, where to strike best in order to crush them and were they couldn't counter him.

The clan of the Visionary wasn't feared for nothing, they were beyond gods and dragons, they could call upon powers that wasn't even their own. They were unpredictable, sneaky, manipulative and above all powerful. All added together with the knowledge that was out of their time could turn a Yorae into a destructive force that none could stop. And once Harry realized the strength he beheld, he could simply kill them all in one stroke, if he wasn't stopped first.

The boy looked down at her with his golden eyes, a smirk starting to spread on his lips as the energy around him started to take a dark red color.

Drake's eyes widened, Tom was starting to control Harry in his disorientated state, the dark energy leaking out of the body like thick oil was prove of this. And if Riddle had indeed fallen to the Dark, than he would control Harry against them and the Yorae god knew how to manipulate the younger dragon's power... to almost its full extent.

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Harry raised an arm up over his head and the magic that leaked out of him gathered up together in form of a ball in a wild fury of power. Narcissa could see it through a blurry vision. She heaved herself from her child's lap as Drake looked worried down. She knew she had to give the priestess a chance to fight the boy back.

Raising her arm up, Narcissa summoned the winds around her forming a somewhat smaller shield than her daughter's, but considering her condition, strong enough to withstand for a few minutes the power of the Yorae.

Drake nodded thankfully before getting up on her feet and taking out a small knife from her clothing. Closing her eyes and whispering words of a tongue long forgotten to the humans she closed her hands around the blade tightening it with each word that passed her lips more and more. The pain and smell of her blood was soon forgotten in her concentration.

The blood dripping to the ground gained life and started to rise like snakes from the ground rising around her in unruly motions before rushing through her mother's shield towards Harry.

Energy exploded as the dragon blood came into contact with the Yorae and Harry screamed in confusion out. Slithering about him the blood strengthen its hold just as Drake strengthened her grip around the blade.

The cold steel vibrated in her hands trying like the Yorae to escape her, but Drake had not been trained and had not lived with the Yorae clan for many years without knowing how to stand up against them. The thing just was that James had never turned out to be as powerful as his son.

In her mind she felt the humming echo of her brother's soul aiding her with his magic, but it was turning out to be little help. Harry wasn't the only one resisting.

"Tom…" she gritted through clenched teeth, sensing the dark magic pushing against her own.

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Fred could see the blade in the priestess' hands starting to shine in a black color just as Harry was dissolving the energy he had gathered moments before and was pressing it between him and the bonds that were holding him still.

The priestess actions had been foolish. Fred knew it just like he knew that attacking the Yorae back then had only caused him to anger even more. If Harry had lost control of the amount of energy for a mere second it would have exploded around them and he wasn't sure whether they would have been able to resist it. But Fred also realized that they were little options left for them considering the people around them they had to protect. They couldn't confront a Yorae in full power.

The woman sank to her knees as she continued to let her blood flow around Harry. Then suddenly she was thrown back as the blade in her hands exploded into pieces injuring not only her but also some of the children near her. The Yorae had finally succeeded in using the energy he had gathered to break free.

Laughter filled the room, louder than the cries of fear and pain; it was dark and deep. Fred saw Harry's face twist into a grimace exposing his long teeth. The predator was free once more.

"Fool…" the Yorae said calling everyone attention onto him. "You think you can defy us with just that?"

Fred could make Tom's voice out as Harry spoke. Now they were in trouble.

"You are not even strong enough to remain on your feet."

"You are right!" another deep voice answered.

Fred glanced slightly back up the stairs. Snape stood there, but he looked strange to his eyes… no, it wasn't that he looked strange; it wasn't Snape at all, it was someone else, someone who looked similar to the Potion Master… right?

"They can't fight you." The man said glaring at the Yorae. "But I can!"

Harry snorted, his one golden eye looking bored at the man. "A human? What could you possibly do?" the red eye narrowed slightly, almost suspiciously, as though it knew something the other eye didn't. It was unnerving to Fred.

Suddenly Snape crouched down and disappeared from behind them and reappeared before Harry in the air throwing the boy down to ground, both sliding on the blood on the floor and smashing against the base of the stairs together.

Fred had the feeling that one of them must definitely have broken his neck, when he saw Harry lying unconsciously with his head to the side. Snape slowly got up and raised his hand to his mouth. From where Fred stood he could not make out was he was doing, but the magic that was called forth made the hair on his neck stand up.

The Potion Master laid his left hand over Harry's face and the hair of the boy moved slightly with the man's magic. Something formed over the Yorae's face.

Fred narrowed his eyes trying to make out what was being done. He could see the signs of a seal wandering over the boy's skin, gathering over his eyes and finally coming together as one.

Snape passed then a hand over the boy's face pushing his bangs aside. Harry's features returned somewhat back to human, only the ears remained long. Snape reached with an arm under the boy's neck then with the other under his legs and heaved him up.

"It won't break now." He stated as he looked towards the priestess. "But the Yorae can't remain here much longer."

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Drake approached slowly the man holding Harry in his arms. He had not turned his eyes from her since he had looked at her. Holding with her left arm her numb one she walked up to him. With every step she moved closer to him her heartbeat fastened in her chest.

She starred at him up as she stopped before him. Licking her lips nervously while breathing heavily, she gathered her courage together before speaking up.

"Do you know who I am?" she could hear her own fear in her voice. Fear of the answers she might get, the slight trembles that accompanied it... His mere presence was causing her mind to blank out again as so many years ago when she had been told of his death.

He nodded slowly "Drake."

Suddenly the tension of her body broke free, as though released by magic with the sound of her name. She felt her tears come down her face at his dry reply. His eyes were the same but everything else was not James. Nothing seemed to remain of the man she had loved. She had wished that this wouldn't be so, but now…

She broke down in sobs, her own feeling overwhelming her and the terrible aching in her chest forced her down to her knees.

"Give him back to me!" she screamed at Severus reaching out and getting hold of his robes, but the eyes that once had looked brightly and full of love down at her, were now cold and absent.

"It lies not in my power to do such, nor do I want to. I am not _him_…" He stretched the last word with disgust. Then paused with sadness. "And yet… strangely I am." He shook his head and narrowed his eyes annoyed at his own words. "Whichever the case…" he sighed, his eyes cold again. "…My place is not with you."

Drake looked through a blurry vision up, unable to do anything else. He moved his head so that his hair moved to the side and she could see the sign on his forehead. A lightning shaped mark was visible on the once pale skin…

Harry's sign.

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**AN:**

I really though I had put this chapter up ages ago, since it was finished together with chapter 13…

Well, aren't you glad there are still two more chapter waiting?


	16. Chapter 15

AN: 

Ah yes, my problem chapter. I personally don't like this chapter, I can't really say why, but since I needed it for the continuity of the story I had to write it. --

I rewrote this so often that it really annoyed me. Might have been the cause for my long pause….

Still unbetad, sorry.

Hope you like it anyway.

**Chapter 15**

A disturbing silence lay over the great hall, only disrupted by the cries of the priestess kneeling and shuddering in sobs in front of the man who had sealed the Yorae's powers. Fred turned slowly to look questioning at his brother. George's face was tense and his lips were pressed together into a fine line. There were only few times that his brother had ever looked as serious as now, and suddenly Fred could feel the weight of a Dragon Leader on his brother's shoulder. The link that bonded them as twins was forcefully held close. George knew something that he had not told Fred. But while he realized this, he knew that he couldn't question his brother, for George would never hold something secret from him unless it was something kept in order to protect his brother.

George was the first to move of them and he slowly made his way down to the others. Silently Fred followed his brother with his eyes. There was something terribly disturbing and wrong with the man holding Harry.

George spoke up, loud for all of them to hear, but only for the dragons' and gods to understand. The ancient tongue was something long forgotten to humans. Fred saw out of the corner of his eyes Neville move after George, but through the link to his brother he understood that he was to stay back, and so lifting an arm Fred halted the god by his arm back. Neville looked at him narrowing his eyes, but Fred shook his head. They needed to see and understand what was going on before they could lower completely their defenses. The man might look familiar, but that did not mean that they could count on him being save for them to approach.

The man holding Harry turned to look at George and waited for him to come to a halt a few feet away from him. Again George spoke up but this time in English: "Who are you?" his question different from his prior words.

The man narrowed his eyes, and Fred felt a cold shudder run over him at that sight.

"Snape…" George whispered confused.

"I am him, yes…" the man answered calmly.

George shook his head slowly in confusion. "You're not alone anymore. Is that it?"

The dark eyes flashed blue for a moment. "Indeed…"

The red-haired one let his eyes wander towards the priestess. "I had been warned about this… But to be true I had not expected it to happen this soon. " Drake was still crying, her sobs turning more quiet as she tried to calm herself. "Master Salazar told me once that there would be one who would be not alone in his soul; he would bind this world with ours. Is this you?"

The man remained silent for a while looking down at the boy in his arms before turning to look up at him again. "I do not know who it is you're talking about. All I can tell now, is that I'm not alone and that even though I have not been aware of this until recently, it can no longer be undone. For the Yorae is human, and the human is Yorae. We have become one and with this came the understanding and the change in order to protect my kin."

"And your kin…?" George looked meaningfully at Harry.

"He is my kin. And I am bound to him … He bounded me to him the moment he gave himself to me." The man informed. "It is all I can tell you for now." His blue eyes moved from the Fire Dragon Lord to the Great Mother of the Wind. "You may release you shield and attend to your wounds. We are of no danger to you."

George wasn't sure if Snape was referring by 'we' to Harry and himself or to the two inside him. "What exactly happened?" he inquired not letting his guard down completely. Whether or not this man that was Snape was trustworthy was not something he could tell now. Still the power he must be able to channel to be able to control Harry in such a swift and direct manner was disturbing.

Snape adjusted his hold on the boy in is arms. "The God who is bound to the one that is now me, he lost control of his powers. His mind is being festered by the dark. What we have perceived is barely the beginning."

George raised an eyebrow.

"You must know the duty of the Yorae. We-" Snape shook his head apparently disturbed by his admittance. "The Yorae God gathers the no longer useable energy and channels it true it's counter part who in turn converts it into positive and living energy. For many years this process was not done. It couldn't be done. Too much power had gathered for the Yorae to be able to do it alone. Too much energy was being used and too little was being retuned." Snape paused and looked down at his charge. "This is not something that has barely started with the last generation of Yorae. It goes further back.

"With each increase of magical population the amount of energy used becomes greater. And there's only so much that one Yorae can do by himself to keep the balance." He looked back up to George. "But you knew this already, isn't it so, Fire Dragon Lord?"

A dry smile formed on George's lips. So Snape was out for formalities. This was serious business now. "Yes. I know this was bound to happen."

"You knew about this!" Drake called out distressed. "You knew and you did nothing to stop it!"

George looked calmly down at her. "Draco also knew. It was him who told me."

The Priestess looked perplexed up at him through teary eyes, before anger clouded her face and she furiously struggled to her feet. "You manipulative bastards!" she pointed with her good arm at him. "How could-"

"I believe I don't have to tell you about our laws, Yorae Priestess, and as to how to address a member of the High Council." George snapped. "I don't have to inform you about anything. If the High Councilor himself saw it unfit to inform you, do not complain." He could see her fuming silently, her lips pressed together tightly. He knew she would eventually calm down, she was just trying to leash out since there was no outlet for her distress.

Snape turned to look around them. "I think it would be best if the students were attended, afterwards we can still speak."

"No. there's no time." Narcissa said as she too struggled like her daughter to her feet. "I came with news…" she breathed heavily. "We are all summoned back… and it takes a while to go to the Gates that have not been invaded." She tried to take a step forward to them but stumbled unable to hold herself up on her feet.

A rush of steps came from behind George and he saw Madam Pomfrey moving in to assist the injured woman. "Severus is right; we need to attend the injured first. I'm don't think travel is something we can even start to consider right now." She said as a matter of fact. "Anything else can wait until later."

And in a manner of moments, the stern woman had ordered the older student to move the student body into the Great Hall, the teachers were send with swift commands to arrange accommodations for all of them and two prefects were to assist her taking Drake and Narcissa along to be healed. This left the Twins with the Headmaster, Neville, Sirius, Remus and Ron and Hermione, who refused to move away from Harry and continued starring warily at Snape.

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Severus closed his eyes trying to keep a calm exterior while inside he was as confused as many of them. True to memory there were things that he had come to accept as given. But a part of him, the human part most likely, had trouble understanding everything. It was just a small part in the back of his mind, but with the echo of Harry's- no! He scolded himself. It's Potter! Potter, damn it! – with Potter's emotions drifting like gentle waves over him, it was difficult to forget that James and him had been not one but two individuals at some point.

Earlier the tumult of feelings had been rather overwhelming. Potter seemed to be no better off than him in this aspect.

Severus felt pity for him, but knew that is wasn't truly him who felt this but a dormant echo of the father of the boy. Severus' own feeling were a different matter all together. He didn't necessarily hate the boy, at least he didn't think so, it was confusing to say with the constant reminder that James liked the boy, but he didn't like him either. The boy was a duty thrown at him. First by Dumbledore and now by James. Although thinking about it now, it was first James' who had put this 'burden' upon him and later on Dumbledore.

And now he was bound to him, by magic, by someone else's will and all just because of his insatiably thirst for knowledge and a failed potion.

His attachment to the boy in the last weeks made sense now, hell, his weird fascination with Jathy was completely normal considering their fucked up relation.

It was disturbing to find himself with a disorder of emotions to how he saw the boy. For once, there was the quite paternal echo in him, then there was the worried feeling of a teacher towards his protégée and lastly there were the expectations that would be asked of him concerning his binding to the boy.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the seemingly frail figure in his arms. It was hard to believe the danger he had just posed a few moments before.

His brother… no the man wasn't his brother… he wasn't his Lord either…

Severus frowned to himself. Everything was changing, not only his perspective of himself and the boy, but his relation to everything else as well.

He looked at the others; from the flow of energy around the Fire Dragon Lord he could tell that George must be having a vivid conversation with his twin. Their eyes were locked upon another. The boy's friends regarded him strangely, he could tell as they mentally tried to wage which was the best way to approach them in order to get some questions answered.

Longbottom… The boy was a failure in Severus mind, but the memories of James regarded him with great respect and a feeling resembling admiration.

Everything seemed now off to him.

James remembered being told about Longbottom. But that wasn't the name that he could associate with the boy now.

His eyes continued on to the werewolf and then the Headmaster. Both were men he had always been wary of, but now, with the knowledge he possessed he pitied Lupin while the headmaster had turned into a normal human being, if still annoying in his mind, but there was no longer that respect to the man's power, because to James it had always been a child's strength in the sense of a dragon.

And finally Black. The man who was the greatest enigma to Severus.

As far back as Severus could remember he had hated Black.

No, that wasn't right. He hadn't always hated him. Hate had grown from annoyance and jealousy and that had sprouted from irritation and indifference. It had burned inside Severus vividly like a cold flame.

James on the other hand loved Black. In his eyes he was like a brother, his best friend and it created turmoil inside him.

And of course he could not forget about Harry's feeling for the man. A father figure, a love person, someone the boy admired in his own way and cared for, which is why it had caused such distress to Harry that Sirius, had retracted in fear from him. It was an inevitable form of betrayal of all Harry considered Sirius to be.

And for thus he hated and loved the man now, he couldn't help himself. Just like Severus apparently couldn't stop himself from slipping into calling them both by their first name.

Because he no longer was Severus and he no longer was James.

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"I think we should relocate as well." George stated watching from the corner of his eyes his human brother before looking meaningfully at his twin. "I believe there are things we still have to discuss and this isn't necessary the most private of places." He saw the others nod with exception of Snape. The man just turned and headed towards the entrance to the dungeon.

"Hey!" Fred called after him. "Didn't you just hear?"

The Potion Master turned slightly to look annoyed back at him. "I believe your brother mentioned privacy, which is where I'm headed. Whether you follow me or not is not up to me."

Fred let out an annoyed growl before he and the others followed him.

This wasn't the first time Fred was allowed into the Potion Master's chambers. As teacher's assistance there had been a few times were he had been ordered or called in here to be either scolded or to bring something for the professor. Everything was in uncharacteristically warm colors. Considering that his office was the epitome of a good Slytherin, it was strange to see these rooms in contrast to those. Elegant dark reddish shelves filled with old volumes had been arranged neatly on one side of the walls, a small desk was situated close to the fireplace forming with two couch a half circle. On the other wall hung two portraits, one empty of it's inhabitant and the other was so old and torn that it was difficult to say what it once had stood for. The ground itself was covered with Arabian carpets that were obviously very carefully kept clean by the still vivid colors it had.

The Potion Master moved to the door between the two paintings. It moved open as he approached. Fred could see the outlines of a bed from his position on the door before his brother nudged him to accommodate himself. When Snape returned sans Harry leaving the door ajar, they had already taken seats.

Severus moved to his desk and sat down on its border looking rather uninterested at them. Fred could see his aura expanding from his body in a soft hum creating a shield around the man before retreating to a glimmer above his skin. The energy was similar to Harry's and Tom's yet in many ways unique to the man himself, but that was all Fred could say.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius broke the silence between them first. His voice had an edge of nervousness and worry, but it lacked to usual threatening assets towards Snape.

"Resting." Answered the Potion Master, his eyes had a strange look in them, as though the man didn't quite know what to make of all of them.

"What the hell happened out there!" Sirius snapped pointing with his hand upward and almost hitting Hermione, who sat next to him, with this motion. "What happened to Harry!"

Severus looked at him for a while. Fred wondered whether he wanted one of the other dragons present to answer for him, but before he or his brother could say a word, Snape pushed himself from the desk and wandered over to the fireplace turning his back to them and resting a hand on the stone surface above it.

"It is not unusual for a dragon to be born in the Outer World and to awaken to his power here." Severus began. "Many have done so, but there are only few who are born with the power Potter possess, and even rarer to have the ability to foresee." He turned slightly to look at them. Shadows dance over the man's face and blue eyes seemed to star into the depths of their minds.

Fred moved irritated on the armrest.

"The ability or the curse - as those who posses it called it - to see the possible futures is a danger to the magician or in Potter's case dragon's health." Snape turned completely to them and held his hands in form of a flower in front of him. "Seers, oracles and such see only the string with the strongest possibility to happen. " He moved his left index finger slightly. "Potter on the other hand can see many if not all of them." He stretched all his fingers this time. "Something like that requires a strong mind and a great amount of magic. And although Potter obviously has the latter, his mind is not prepared and his emotions are still to unstable considering his age. Thus any instability caused to his mind will inevitably lead to what you witnessed just moments ago."

"I don't understand." Remus said as he rubbed Sirius hand on his lap calmingly with his thumb. "You say Harry is a dragon? Is that why he looked so…"

"freaky?" Ron asked.

Severus frowned. "You would do better than to use such comparisons in front of your friend when he awakens. It was the very fear of him that you showed him which caused such a dramatic reaction of him that he allowed the Dark Lord to take possession of his body for a while."

"He was possessed?" Hermione squeaked.

"How did that happen?" both Remus and Sirius cried out at the same time while Ron just tried to justify that their reaction had been normal, considering the circumstances at that time.

"Please, everybody, calm down." Albus said raising his arms and lowering them slowly. "Let Severus finish. I'm sure afterwards you can still ask your questions."

Severus smiled amused closing his eyes. They all blinked before looking disturbed at one another and back at the Potion Master.

"Albus, always the peacemaker, aren't you." Severus said chuckling softly.

The headmaster nodded looking confused at Neville next to him, but the god just shrugged. "You know me, my boy." He answered slowly.

"I just have one question, or actually, I have two…" Remus said holding Sirius' hand painfully that the other man tried to pull it out of his grip. "Is Harry the next Yorae?"

Severus regarded them one by one seriously before he answered with a 'yes'.

"Oh god." Sirius let out a gasp. "How?"

"You really shouldn't call upon us, in times like these." Neville said leaning forward and looking towards Sirius. "We sometimes know as little as you."

For a moment they looked perplexed at him, before they recalled the events at the headmaster's office earlier and the Marauder gave him a weak smile.

"I think it would be obvious as to how one happened to end up like that, Sirius…" Severus shook his head slightly seemingly startled as Sirius by the use of first name. "One, if not both parents have to be dragons. But let's us not drop into that now, there are other matters that need to be attended to first." He looked over at Remus. "I believe you said you had two questions, Lupin."

The werewolf nodded slowly. "Who are you?"

This caused the Potion Master to burst out laughing. Not his usual cold laugh, but a genuine belly laugh, that filled the room. The others tensed in their seats looking strangely at each other, and Sirius started to draw small circles with his finger in the air next to his head.

"Are you alright, my boy?" Albus asked worriedly. "You have been behaving slightly…off"

The man calmed down smiling amused, and it was then that Fred saw it. The aura around Snape's body gathering into a more solid form of someone identical to Harry just much older, before returning to it's prior movement of hovering about the man in waves.

Neville let out a hiss the moment George gripped tightly his arm in alarm. They had all seen it, the change, the connection of the souls and the magic.

Snape's smile was sad now. "I don't know who I am anymore…" he closed his eyes and moved his arms as though to hug himself before letting them drop in some kind of resignation to his side. "I am Severus Snape…" he stated in a calm voice. "I am the Yorae Dragon Lord James and… I am neither and yet both."

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Tom's body convulsed hard on the ground as he felt the combined magic of his brother and Severus push him out of Harry's mind. He breathed heavily feeling every part of his body ache. For a moment he was completely disorientated, but scanning with his eyes his surroundings he recognized the outskirts of Hogsmead as Hogwarts rose behind the forest in the background.

His magic felt wrong. The polluted energy tried to make its way back into his head and he desperately tried to will it back. He closed his eyes feeling the soft grass beneath him under his hands focusing on regaining the precious little control he could still hold on to.

Within his own magic he could feel the loss of many of his Death Eaters. Too many had fallen to the backslash of his own loss of control and to the hands of the Dragon Masters. Driven by the Dark Lords memories they had sought the Sanctuary's with Gates connecting the Inner World to the Outer Shell. Evil had risen from Tom's own hurt and losses, from experiences that he rather wished he could forget. All these feelings were amplified by the dark magic into emotions that would make the receiver, in this case the Death Eaters, into puppets of destruction.

The Dark Lord felt himself loose with every passing moment more of himself and now that he could never regain his connection to his other half, his own soul was weakening rapidly to the continuous onslaught of the energy that kept on gathering in him.

Taking a deep breath he struggled to his feet, needing a moment to let the dizziness pass before straightening his back and apparating back to his layer.

First of all he needed Nagini in order to transfer and seal more of the secrets in his mind into her. He knew too many things that could lead to complete destruction if they were passed on to his servants through the Dark Mark. There had always been the possibility to remove that connection between Master and Servants, but Tom knew too well that he needed that outlet or it would consume him quicker than it already was. But up until today he had thought he would still have time before he would find himself forced to violate his own mind further until at the end there would be no more than a silent echo of the man that Tom Marvolo Riddle once was. And when that happened…

And when that happened may the gods and dragons protect humanity of the Dark Lord that would arise.

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**AN**:

Well, well, thankfully this chapter is finally finished. .

Well still one more to go.


	17. Chapter 16

A/N:

I was really motivated for this chapter. Explains why it is longer than the other two.

Still unbetad, can't help it.

Enjoy

**Chapter 16**

Harry had awoken to find himself in an unfamiliar room, on an unknown bed. Dark blue silk covers had been laid over his form. He sat slowly up examining his surroundings. The room wasn't very large, next to the bed stood a black marble nightstand, a lit candle and a small stack of books that by the looks of them had been read quite a lot. Otherwise the room was bare except for one cupboard standing near the door.

He moved to the bedside and moved to get up. Cold air hit his naked feet. A small shudder ran up his body and he quickly scanned the room for his shoes and socks. Seeing them at the end of the bed he crawled over and settled to put them back on. Once ready he stood up and walked to the door that was a slit open. Reaching for the door handle he froze when he heard his name being said.

"Is Harry the next Yorae?" he recognized Professor Lupin's voice.

A moment of silence followed before Harry heard his godfather's gasp. "Oh god! How?"

"You really shouldn't call upon us, in times like these." A new voice said. "We sometimes know as little as you." Harry couldn't recall why the voice seemed familiar yet slightly off to what he was used to.

A god had come to Hogwarts? Someone else had arrived from the Inner World? Who?

Harry let his hand drop to his side, wondering whether he should keep listening in or face the consequences to his actions.

His actions?

A rush of memories washed over him. He let out a strangled sob when he recalled the events. He had completely lost control of himself and had let Tom take over. He was so used to it as Jathy that he hadn't even fought the Voldemort when he pushed by Harry's mental barriers and had influenced his actions.

He looked down at his hands, he could remember the energy that he had gathered…

Everything had happened so fast and then… and then…

"I think it would be obvious as to how one happened to end up like that, Sirius…" Harry's head snapped up at the sound of the Potion Master's voice.

_Sirius?_

Since when-

"One, if not both parents have to be dragons. But let's us not drop into that now, there are other matters that need to be attended to first." Snape continued. "I believe you said you had two questions, Lupin."

"Who are you?"

And then the unimaginably to Harry happened. The man laughed. A laugh which filled Harry with warmth and love.

He had never heard him laugh, especially not like that.

Suddenly Harry's found himself in the room with all the others. Yet at the same time he knew that he was still standing behind the door. He found himself slightly hovering above the ground next to the Potion Master.

The man's face seemed younger as he leaned slightly forward trying to calm down from his sudden outburst of amusement. Harry reached tentatively out to touch the face but stopped himself inches before he could come in contact.

"Are you alright, my boy?" Albus asked worriedly. "You have been behaving slightly…off."

Severus calmed down and a smile formed on his lips, illuminating his face in a way Harry couldn't describe. It was a smile that did not seem to belong to him. A strange image suddenly overrode Snape's body and Harry found himself starring at his father with the same expression on his face.

The air around them both was of a hint amusement filled with a deep sadness.

As quickly as the image had appeared it vanished again, and Harry wasn't even sure if he hadn't simply imagined it.

"I don't know who I am anymore…" Severus said and closed his eyes and moved his arms as though to hug himself before letting them drop in some kind of resignation to his side. "I am Severus Snape…" he stated in a calm voice. "I am the Yorae Dragon Lord James and… I am neither and yet both."

There was the truth.

Out in the open making complete sense in Harry's head…

Explaining why Harry yearned to be respected by the man…

Why Harry wanted his attention like a little spoiled child who was being denied his wishes…

Why he loved despite his hate…

Why they had connected…

The reason for their disputes…

Because he held his father's soul.

Harry shook his head. No that was wrong. It wasn't that Severus held James Potter's soul, it was that they had become one.

A sadness filled Harry. He could understand Tom's loneliness, his hate and his anger because for a twin it would be like being ripped of a part of their body once they were separated.

He looked pitifully at Fred and George.

They too would learn of this rupture.

Not today, but soon. Harry could feel it.

He returned his focus to the Potion Master when the man reached up to his face pushing his hair behind his ear. Gasp filled the rooms when the others saw the mark Harry had given to the man, because the Yorae knew that he had done so although he couldn't recall the how or when.

"Even before my birth James had decided that I should become the anchor to the one that would be his heir." Severus explained. "He had foreseen that with me at his side, Harry would have to highest chances of success against what is to come.

"A Yorae Lord born without an artificially created meiosis to separate him into a god and a dragon. A Yorae born as in Old Times. Yet that alone would not be enough. The Yorae would have to be born of a human living on the Outer Shell in order for him to feel the connection towards both worlds." Severus paused and turned facing Harry, looking him directly in the eyes as though he could see him.

Harry wasn't so sure he couldn't.

"Raised here his connection to this side of the Realm would be obviously much stronger. His feeling and familiar connections that he has formed here are not enough for him to fight for the humans, but James wasn't sure it would be enough for him to willingly make sacrifices to protect the Inner World as well.

"A human with a soul born in the Inner World would have to become his partner." Severus snorted slightly. "He thought that a loving bond would be the strongest motivation."

Black eyes turned blue and starred at Harry. The Yorae shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. "Can you see me?" he asked, but received no answer to his question as Severus continued his narration.

"I thought that by giving Harry a mate that would be bound to him, a mate that would understand his suffering and the madness that he will experience for being who he is, he could find a balance to fight the curse that a Seer like us has to live with." The eyes held so much sadness that Harry felt a part of him tear in two as though the pain in them were his own suffering.

Severus reached up to his face with his hands hiding his eyes behind them.

"We see when we don't want to see. Our lives are full of events in which we see our beloved die countless deaths, because we see everything and nothing. All the choices that are made open up a new path, and although I know that death is an inevitable result of living, I hate to believe that I cannot change the future and their lives." He cried desperately out. "Always watching, always seeing, we both are unable to stop this curse from consuming us as we struggle to find which truth is the most likely.

"And when I though that I could no longer withstand this chaos from invading my mind I saw a soul that would fight these visions that plague me. A soul that would understand my pain because he simply wouldn't believe in them. This boy, who could be the key to regain the balance that we disrupted countless years ago by creating the Outer Shell.

"And so I came here. Hiding this secret form my other half, hiding it desperately from everyone else, because they wouldn't understand. They would surely try to stop me, not stopping from killing me as they have done to my clan for thousands of years. When the burden that we present to them becomes to much and everything seems to fall into darkness they destroy our lives. Ripping it straight out of our bodies!"

Severus' legs gave away from under him and Harry reached instinctively out trying to catch him. But his hand passed right through the man.

"I have seen it in my dreams as they gather us and seal our magic before violating the very same by sending us into oblivion." Blue eyes starred in shock up at Harry. "You have seen it, have you not?" he cried out, desperation sounding clearly in his voice. "Those nightmares in which you run, dreams from which you wake up with a racing heart trying to jump through your rips.

"But they cannot live without us." His eyes held anger now. "You have seen, you have seen!"

Harry couldn't take it anymore. He reached out again finding himself in agony as emotions echoed through his body. Without thinking he pulled Severus into an embrace, hugging him unable to do anything else while not realizing that this time they had touched.

"Thank you." Harry whispered. "For not letting me be alone."

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Poppy had healed Dracos' wounds quickly after attending to his mother before proceeding to tend the students. Drake had angrily retreated into the back of their minds blocking whatever connection they had completely of. It had felt like a harsh slap across his face when the walls between them had sprung up from nothingness.

"What happened out there Draco?" Narcissa asked as he moved her arm to check if everything was fine with it. "And don't you dare tell me nothing, son!"

Draco looked around them, although he was male again, he had kept the physical body of someone close to his thirties. Students kept glancing at them whispering among each other.

He let out a soft whistle raising the wind around them as a blocking barrier for sound to travel, before turning to his mother.

"Years ago James did a prediction in front of the High Council. He indicated that changes would come with the new Yorae, but that another would awaken similar and yet not bound to our laws because he would be human."

She narrowed her eyes. "Severus?"

Draco nodded. "I'm not quite sure how it worked, and Drake refuses to speak about it. She has completely blocked her memories of James from me." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "That must be an ability only bestowed upon those that are loyal to the Yorae."

"We are loyal to them." His mother protested vividly.

Draco smiled sadly. "I'm not sure how loyal we have been in the past to them, mother, but I'm starting to think that there is more to the past connecting our future that I was first told by my predecessor when I took the seat as High Councilor.

"That man that confronted Harry and managed to control him was not only able to do such because he is Harry's chosen, but because he has been given the power beyond us." Draco looked seriously at his mother while pulling at his too short school uniform uncomfortably. "To be able to control Harry to such an extend and to be able to drive Tom out of the boy's mind is not something we can take quietly."

"Do you believe him to be a god then?"

The High Councilor snorted before pulling his wand out and enlarging his clothing with a spell to fit him. "A god, mother? Could you sense a god in him?" he shook his head. "No, he possesses a connection to James, I can feel it, but I do not understand why."

Narcissa passed a hand through her hair. "We must move soon, we cannot delay our return much longer, Draco. And we do not know how many of the Sanctuaries have fallen to the Dark Lord."

Draco crossed his arms. "We could ask father, if he is back in his right mind, you know."

His mother tensed visibly in her seat. He looked quizzing at her expecting her to tell him what was wrong, but instead she got up from the sleeping bag they had been given and turned his back to him.

"I don't think we can do that, Draco." She said before stepping out of his silencing shield. "We should make a Master Locator to establish our possible routes to a still functioning Gate."

"Mother?"

"Not now, Draco!" she hissed in obvious pain. "I can't speak of it now."

**FLASHBACK START**

Lucius stood with wild eyes over her, hands bleeding, his face contorted into a horrible way as the dark energy seeped out through his Dark Mark over him and onto her, burning the clothing on her should where he held her.

"Lucius!" Narcissa called out desperately trying to convey into her husband recognition. "Please stop this, Lucius! I beg you."

But he, like the rest of their attackers, wasn't hearing anything but the call of chaos ruling their minds.

His weight was heavy on her making it hard for her to breath.

"Please, my love, I don't want to fight you, Lucius, please!" she begged with tears in her eyes, but her desperate cry landed on deaf ears.

A spam ran through his body and he vomited right into her face.

She closed her eyes as she was also hit with a wave of nausea by the mere sound of his action.

Suddenly Lucius was hit by a wave of energy off her. Someone she knew she should know came to assist her pulling her to her feet.

"Quickly, we must flee, the Gate is closing, Great Mother!" the man said pulling at her as she stumbled awkwardly after him while looking back in sorrow and worry at her beloved.

All around them battles were being fought, shouts of spells cast while the Death Eaters moved forward shielded by their Dark Lord's power.

Not looking where she was being pulled to she stumbled over a dead body causing the man that had assisted her to let go of her.

Confused for a moment she looked up at the man and screamed when Lucius appeared with a loud cry next to him pushing his arm straight to the man's body.

Blood was spilled upon her as her husband let the lifeless body fall to the ground before turning to her. Like a dead man he moved in slow motion towards her. Fear overwhelmed her senses and she gathered quickly to her feet raising her arms in front of her releasing a whistle sound through her lips. Wind moved to her command between them, slashing at Lucius clothing and skin as he struggled on towards her.

Scared she took a step back, another whistle and a word to strengthen the magic was cast in order to will him back. And for a moment it worked. Lucius was stopped where he stood, but the arm with the Mark let a bubble of dark energy out forming like a whip and lashing out at her.

Unprepared for it she found herself chocking as the energy closed tightly around her throat. Tears streamed down her eyes, her body already aching from other wounds received earlier on the battle field.

"Please." She begged. "Please, Lucius." She coughed when he moved in with unimaginable speed and hit her in the abdomen. She could taste her own blood in her mouth now.

He stood before her, holding her up with the dark whip, her feet barely touching the ground. This man before her wasn't Lucius.

She cried frustrated.

But somewhere inside of him still resided the man she loved dearly. She couldn't attack him, no matter that her live was at risk, she simply couldn't…

But when he moved his arm back in order to strike her down in a similar fashion as his previous victim, her instincts overrode he love for the man.

Blood was coughed upon her as Lucius stumbled upon her pushing her with him to the ground.

"Oh no!" she pushed him off her turning him around. She had stabbed him with a wind sword right through his chest. "Lucius!" she screamed reaching out for him to heal, but a hand stopped her.

"Don't." he coughed, breathing heavily. "He will…just… take…control… again…"

She starred at his face, his eyes shining with a sad recognition and love for her.

"I… am… sorry…" he whispered before a coughing fit caused him to turn away from her so he would choke on his blood.

She reached for his face turning it to her. "It's me who should be sorry. There was so much I wanted to tell you that-"

He laid a trembling hand on her lips. "Don't…" he closed his eyes. "You must live… Draco… Dra…" his voice was too faint for her to understand.

She cried leaning down to him wanting to kiss him.

"Take care… of… our son…"

A strangled sob escaped her. "I love you." She whispered kissing him, but he had already lost consciousness. She cried desperately unable to stop herself.

Others came pulling at her insisting that she accompanied them, but she struggled and cried out to be left to die. Holding Lucius body to her, she called his name over and over again

"We've already lost the Gate!" someone cried out behind them.

She screamed in agony the moment Lucius body stopped to breath. Arms and hands forced them apart and she had to watch as her beloved's dead body was left to be consumed by the lingering darkness while she was hauled out of the Sanctuary by the others.

**FLASHBACK END**

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Salazar Slytherin was a name by which he had let himself be reborn in the Outer Shell. It was a name that the Yorea God held in dear memories.

He had lived a lifetime of experiences that under no other circumstances he could have been given here in the more controlled Inner World. He had been shown what it meant to be human for a short time, because for such as he, a human life span was nothing but a passing moment in his true live.

Yet even there responsibilities had haunted him. Secrets his sister had told him, secrets that were not to be spoken out loud.

"Master Salazar!"

He looked up from his work at the woman standing in the arc leading to his office. He let his eyes scan quickly over the marks on her arms. She was a guardian of the Gates.

"Yes?" he spoke indicating with his hand for her to take a seat.

Shaking her head in denial, she strode quickly over to his desk. "I have been told by the Elders to inform you that the Gates are being closed and that the Young Yorae Lord has still not arrived. There are not many left open, and even those that we can still hold are no longer in any condition that anyone else should risk travel."

His hand holding his writing utensil shook slightly at the news. "What of the High Councilor?"

Again she shook her head. "Neither he nor his mother have returned, although Lady Undine says that the Great Mother of the Wind had fled with others out the Sanctuary at the Church in London. It appears that she continued on to inform the High Councilor of the situation."

"But?" he raised an eyebrow.

She looked worriedly at him. "But it was after she left that the attack strength of our enemy increased tremendously. We had to close the southern Travel Area completely off."

Salazar led himself fall back in his seat in defeat. "How many are still remaining outside in Great Britain?"

"I'm not sure, I mean-"

"How many!" he snapped.

She shrunk back at the sound of his voice. " About 5 maybe even 15 of the dragons remain, besides the High Councilor and his mother counting to the still missing are the Fire Dragon Lord and his twin, the Lady Rem and High Lord Arthur, the Valkyrie Council members as well as various members of the Old Clans and not to forget many of the gods and their children that live on the Outer Shell."

Salazar sighed. Many of those missing held high status in the High Council and their own Family branches. The fact that twin Leaders were also missing did not bode well for them.

"How close to Hogwarts is the next Gate?" he asked.

"Hogwarts?" she asked confused.

He rolled his eyes, of course she wouldn't know. None of the Gate Guardians had ever traveled beyond their domain.

"The Gate at the Ancient Stone Circle of the Gods, is it still open?"

"Stonehenge?" she asked. "No, on the main island all the Gates were closed. The energy outlet was too strong there. We cannot open them for a while."

"Are you saying that you left many of the Clean Leaders without access to a Gate, not to mention the High Councilor and the Yorae Lord!" he burst out.

This time she stood straight facing him. "I'm sorry, Master Salazar, but it was not something we could prevent if we wanted to protect our world." She look him directly in the eyes now. "The two Gates in Ireland will be held open for as long as we can, also we have reinforced the number of Guardians to the Gates in Belgium, France and Holland. It is not that we have completely cut them off from us."

He took a deep breath trying to calm his temper. "Thank you for informing me Guardian of the Gates."

She bowed to him unsurely of her dismissal. Salazar stood up from his seat and walked to the balcony behind his desk turning his back to her. Sensing that she was no longer welcomed, the Guardian headed back to the exit.

"There is still another Gate in England that you do not know of…"

She turned surprised back to him. "Master Salazar?"

"Please leave, there is nothing you can do here for now." He told her. "I need to think of the next steps to take. Please inform your superior Lord Odin that I will inform him once I have spoken to High Priestesses of the Yorea."

Again she bowed.

Salazar listened to her retreating steps. He needed to make contact with the Yorae, there was still the Gate beneath Hogwarts that he had build with his sister's help shortly before her death. It had never been finished thus it could only be activated from the Outer Shell, and the energy needed to activate it was tremendous.

It would be instable and a one way portal to the Inner World. The time it could be held open would depend on the energy level that the summoners had or if they had made a mistake during the construction it would end up killing the one used a medium.

Still it would be the safest traveling point for them, since Tom didn't know about it. And what the Dark Lord didn't know…

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Sirius watched as his godson held Snape to him. Harry had suddenly come rushing into the room kneeling down and ad pulled the man to him. A faint glow of magic had brightened the boy's features before they touched.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Snape continued desperately, his blue eyes wide as he starred into nothingness.

"It's okay." Harry answered. "I understand, but now you need to calm down and submit to him or everything you have built up until now will have been for naught." He pushed Snape slowly into a sitting position. "Submit to Severus, the spell is still not completely settled, father." Blue eyes looked scared at Harry. "You have already given him your magic, your memories and feelings, now you must surrender what is left of your soul. I beg you, submit, you're tearing him apart. I can see it as much as I can feel it!"

"Is this what you want?" The image of James flickered unstable over Severus form, like a blurry afterimage. "I cannot longer tell what is I must do, everything is the same…"

Harry's eyes turned golden. "I'm here now, your duty is finished. Let go. We will take care of everything now. Have faith in us, father."

Severus nodded slowly. "It was never attempted before, I cannot say how much change I have caused in him. I can no longer see…" A happy smile formed on his lips. "I cannot see…" and then Snape's eyes turned with a slow change black and the Potion Master stumbled forward onto Harry.

"You okay there?" Harry asked touching Snape's head and letting his fingers run in a caress through the man's hair.

"Not sure." Was all he received as a reply. "We thought the spell was complete, but…I don't know…" Snape whispered tiredly. "Something is still off…"

Sirius watched as his godson gently helped the Potion Master to his feet. Then Harry turned to them, his green eyes still held a shimmer of gold in them which made Sirius feel slightly nervous.

"I'm sorry for earlier." Harry apologized, his hands still resting on the other man's arm and neither seemed to notice.

"What the hell is going on!" Sirius finally couldn't contain himself any longer. "Are you all out of your minds?"

Snape snorted. "Considering that Potter fused his soul to mine, there is a very high possibility that such thing might have happened."

"Potter? You mean James, isn't it so?" Neville asked raising an eyebrow looking him up at down. "I had heard of such a thing to be possible for dragons, but I had always thought that in order for a unification to work the two parties involved had to be closed related to another, which is why it is nowadays still in use for Twin Leaders."

Snape shrugged. "It certainly didn't stop James from doing this to me." He laid a hand on his chest to emphasis his statement. "As though being indebting to him wasn't enough already."

"Can James still influence you actions?" Goerge asked leaning forward in his seat.

Sirius glanced annoyed from Snape to the red haired young man. "Why would James even do something like that?"

Snape rolled his eyes at him and Sirius just shook his head. "I know what you said, Snape, it's just very hard to understand. I'm not an idiot. I mean a lot of what I have been told today makes sense with James' behavior. He always seemed to favor you and although I cannot comprehend what he must have gone through to come to the decision that you could possibly be any good for Harry, I am willing to accept the fact that he choose you for whatever awaits us." Sirius shrugged. "Besides it's clear that there's something I can't change." He wiggled his finger at them demonstratively.

Harry had tensed visibly at Sirius last comment and his grip on the Potion Master's arm tightened. The man just laid a hand on Harry's hand trying to calm the younger man.

"What I meant was that I would like to know why you or James, or both of you reacted the way you just did." Sirius gestured around him. "You were freaking. Not that it would be a new concept about you, Snape, but even for your standards your behavior was extreme."

"I think I might be able to explain it." Neville said. "If you allow me of course, professor." A nod for the Potion Master noticed him to proceed. "I remember a conversation I had with one of your ancestor Young Yorae Lord." He looked meaningfully at Harry. "She used to say that being a dragon seer was a terrible curse that no one who had not experienced it first hand would ever be able to comprehend. Victory is what allows history to be written. It is what allows marking the future, but it is not necessarily the right thing." He added in a tone that made it clear that he wasn't happy with such things.

"Yorae are linked to time and space." Neville raised his hands holding the palms a few inches from another. "Imagine this as my hands as the cores of existence." A small almost tiny light ball started to form between them. And then another and another until thousand of tiny little light floated between the boy's hands. "Every light shall represent a live. It could be any of you, even me. And if you look closely you will see that none of then touch each other."

They all moved forward in their seats to see the demonstration better. "In between the light lies darkness. There is no right, beneath, behind or such only the light as it exist now. That is the concept of a normal being about his life, unless told, you don't know the past of someone else, unless experienced you cannot tell how a person behaves. All that makes a being unique is only visible to you for your own person."

Red lines started to connect the dots and it reminded Sirius strongly of a game.

"And something like this is the vision of a Yorae. It naturally varies with the level of power for each individual." More and more lines formed until the space between the hands was but a red blur. "Everything that lies within is visible to the Yorae, while for the normal seer only a few strands of the whole continuum becomes visible. Past, present and future are not separable for them. Everything is linked." Neville lowered his hands letting the light disappear and looked calmly at Snape. It was kind of surreal to Sirius to see the boy who feared the man sit with such steady demeanor.

"If I understand correctly there is a flaw in the transfer James did to you or it might merely be possible that you soul is still cooping with the last changes. Whichever it is, the part of James within you strengthen when you tried to access to knowledge that once belonged to him, while trying to explain things to us. It grew so far that it caused you to get lost in the late Yorae Dragon's power.

"I imagine that you must have lost yourself for a moment in the surrealism of the paradoxes that invaded your mind." Neville took a deep breath. "Your perspective got altered and it alarmed you. It is a complete normal reaction considering that you had never before been exposed to it." The last part sounded more like a question to Sirius, but he didn't comment on it.

In his head he started to pull the little puzzle parts together. He remembered James odd behavior when it came to Snape. His best friend was always in for a joke when it came to 'Snivellus' but at the same time Sirius had always sensed a sort of interest for the Slytherin from James.

Then there were those times when he would sit quietly looking out of a window not noticing that he was completely shutting everything else out, it had even appeared to Sirius that James' eyes would hold a strange glow. Back then he had always associated it with the light reflecting on the window and then on his friend, but now seeing Harry's gold shimmering eyes it became clear that his friend had held secrets from him that he wouldn't even have imagined it.

Back at the Great Hall when he had seen Harry's change, he had panicked. His emotions had gotten the better of him and it was something that James had always warned him about: Never to judge things too early. But as many good meant advises that he had received in his live, it simply passed by him.

Harry's appearance had stirred the memory of James looking at him from the windowsill with long ears and slit-pupil eyes. It had unnerved him.

And now here he was. Being told that his godson was not human, that his best-friend had lied to him, and that in a very strange manner Severus Snape, the man that he hated almost as much as his cousin Bellatrix, held the memories and, god forbid, the soul of the man who had been like a brother to him.

His view of the world was starting to fall apart.

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With long steady strides Salazar- Yorae God - hurried through the halls of the Chronos' Sanctuary, resting place of the Great Father of Time, Keeper of the Streams to Chaos and Representative of Eternity. The residents were those who had sworn an Oath of Loyality on their lives and those of their families. They bowed as they saw him pass by, but he was currently more worried about his great-grandson whereabouts as to stop even for formalities.

Stepping through a large arc leading to a long stairway up into the sky he tried to think of the possibilities of transferring the message he needed to send. Taking two steps at the time, he was glad he had decided to wear less formal clothing today. With long robes it would simply have been too complicated to walk this fast.

The glass stairs rose in circular shape up to the Zodiac Wheel were the High Priestesses lived and Chronos himself was sleeping since the beginning of time. Or at least that was what was being told. His resting body chained in the air by a craft so old that none but the Yorae Master knew of it. His sister had never spoken of it, just looked with a sad expression at the man before kneeling before him muttering to herself quickly before returning to Salazar's side.

The clouds moved through the pillars of the stairs when he was closing in on the top until he finally touched the white-silvered stone-glass of one of the Wheels of Time. He looked beneath his feet at the slowly moving structure.

"Lord Salazar, what a surprise to see you." A woman said.

He looked up to see a tall dark skinned woman with leaves growing over her body come closer to him. Her tail moving gracefully with every step she came closer until she finally halted before him bowing deeply.

"High Priestess San-Go, there is no need for formalities." He said reaching out and raising her face to look up at him until she stood straight before him again.

"What brings you to the Zodiac Wheel, if I may ask?"

Her curiosity always astounded him, just as much as her straight forwardness. She was one of the most natural quick-wittedness beings he had ever met, always aware of what was going on around her and she possessed and incredible genius when it came down to causing mischief. Oh how James had loved her.

"My coming does not bode well for us, I think." He finally said nodding for her to accompany him on his way deeper into the Zodiac Wheel.

"The Yorae Dragon, is it not?" She said walking with a bounce in her step next to him. "We were informed of the Gates' closing."

Straight to the point and she had probably already started to work out solutions for him.

"Yes, I believe there is a way to allow him and those close to him to come to us." He explained.

She swung around her tail caressing his hand for an instant when she walked backwards in front of him not slowing their pace. Her face had lit up in a way that made you automatically trust her, but he knew her for too long to fall for that innocent act.

High Priestess San-Go was named after the hours between 3 and 5 in the afternoon as Guardian Zodiac of the Monkey, which were her ruling domain. She held a certain manipulative character, her charm and her incredible persuasiveness made people feel privilege just by knowing her, but sometimes even that was not enough for Salazar to reveal everything to her at once.

"I need to speak to the Keeper Verdandy." He said slowing his pace and like he had expected San-Go halted startled looking slightly bewildered at him.

"You wish to speak to the Norse?"

He nodded. "I am aware that the sisters are the Guardians of the Chains of Chronos, and that their duty keeps the Norse sisters busy, but currently there are problems that cannot be ignored. I would call upon the three sisters, but Verdandy will have to do."

"That won't be necessary." A new voice said.

Salazar and the High Priestess turned to see another woman approach. Her hair white and long, it moved in waves around her that even for a god like Salazar it seemed that she was not earthbound. Long dark bands covered her voluminous body, but still showed more skin that Salazar was used to.

Feeling himself blush he moved quickly forward to great her and to hide his treacherous body's reaction. "I greet you, Keeper Urðr, Leader of the Dis of Death, Guardian of 'That which has come'." There was a reason why he hated formalities and found it so incredibly nice that those living outside Chronos' Sanctuary bore marks to show their title and status without having to say it each time you met. Not to mention that many of the High Priestesses here had names which no one could pronounce, which is why he always addressed them by their guardian title or similar. Although he had to admit that Urðr was one of the easier names, that alone said everything about the others'.

"Urd will do Lord Yorae God Salazar." She said looking at the High Priestess intensively until the other woman stirred nervously and left with a deep bow to the two of them.

"Lets us leave mine to just Salazar then."

Urd nodded. "My sister Skuld foretold your arrival. She spoke of things rather disturbing."

He sighed. "Disturbing?" Could things get any worse?

"You wish for Verdandy to assist you in guiding the Yorae Dragon Master back to us." She stated crossing her arms under her chest and causing Salazar to feel more uncomfortable. "But they won't return alone, it will change things. The consequences are not something that Skuld can predict. Although she posses the sight, her powers are not strong enough to let us- "

He raised a hand stopping her speech. "I am more than aware of the consequences, Keeper Urd. A war has been in growth for years on the Outer Shell, and the time for war has come!" He let his hand slid through the air pointing at the ground. "Have you forgotten the late Yorae Dragon's prediction?" He saw her flinch at his words. "'May there be gods and dragons… For the world to see and witness… ' I think this is just it. This is what James was trying to tell us. We cannot defeat the Chaos alone, it's not only them who need us, but we have need of them just as well."

Urd sighed. "That is not something we can decide."

"No!" he snapped. "This is something we can decide. Our old ways have led us to what is happening now, we need change."

"But the High Council and the laws-"

"Screw the laws and the High Council!" he was losing his temper now. "Are we dragons?"

She shook quickly her head in denial.

"Exactly, we are gods. There are only a handful of dragons currently at the Sanctuary that might feel obliged to points such things out, Keeper Urd. But you and I, and your sisters and so many other here are gods and you are all bound to the Yorae by the Oath."

"Are you implying that…" she pointed at him.

"If there are any repercussions you can all say I ordered you to do it." He nodded a little more calmly.

She passed a hand through her head troubled. "I can't believe we are going to let other people into the Chronos' Sanctuary, not to mention humans."

He laid a comforting arm on her shoulder "Things change, Urd, things change." And with this both walked into the deeper parts of the Zodiac Wheel until they reached an enclosed door with the Eye of the Yorae as a seal.

"To the Chamber of Secrets?" Urd asked raising her hands to the seal.

"Yes, it is their best escape route."

She nodded lifting the seal from its place. A hiss and smoke creped through the opening as it moved slowly open. Salazar felt a long forgotten thrill run through him, like when he was younger and about to create some really big mischief.

The High Council was going to be so very displeased that he really hoped that things would go well so that he wouldn't have to deal with their anger.

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**A/N:**

For this chapter I used a lot of references to mythology of different cultures. I thought that since generally the gods and the dragons created the 'world' in this story I should use cultural influences, legends, mythology and such from anywhere I liked. I'm going to be doing a little more research later on to see how to let the future interaction of the characters proceed.

Here are a few notes for those who are confused or don't remember details of mythology.

A some might remember Neville is actually the Egyptian god Thoth, who stands for writing and in the mythology he's also mentioned as the one to keep the balance of justice.

Chronos is, if I remember correctly, from the Greek mythology. He's supposedly an old man and is the personification of Time

San-Go is a fictional name. I made it up from the time frame that the Chinese Zodiac 'the Monkey' stands for. I used the Japanese names for 3 and 5, since that is the monkey's time according to the data I found.

Urd, Verdandy, Skuld are the Norse that stand for the different time periods. I chose them because I did not remember how the greek equivalent of the sisters are named.

If you still have questions you can e-mail me or (which is much faster) go visit wikipedia for further information.

Well, from here on things are going to be happening a bit faster in the story. Hopefully I can keep my inspiration and write some more in the next two week before classes star again. Let me know what you think so far.

V

P.S: I know Harry and Sev are behaving at the end kind of strange, but please remember that there are both kind of influenced by outside forces to be close. It is bound to be a bit weird.


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